Affiliations: [a] School of Foundations, Leadership, and Administration, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| [b] School of Education, Innovation, and Continuing Studies, Widener University, Chester, PA, USA
| [c] Department of Early Childhood, Special Education, and Rehabilitation Counseling, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| [d] School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Jian Li, School of Foundation, Leadership and Administration, 316 White Hall, P.O. Box 5190, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA. Tel.: +330 672 0577; Fax: +330 672 3063; E-mail: jli42@kent.edu.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Due to the extent and complexity of its physical, cognitive, and psychological accompaniments, multiple sclerosis has tremendously negative effects on employment outcomes for adults with the disease. OBJECTIVE:This article extends the current understanding of the relationship between disease-related and functional factors and employment status among adults with multiple sclerosis. METHODS:Findings are reported in terms of descriptive statistics and logistic regression. The logistic regression analysis was completed to determine the extent to which disease-related and functional predictors contributed to the overall prediction model for the employment status of adults with MS. RESULTS:The combined variables explained approximately 33% of the variance in employment status. In addition to three items of the Psychological subscale and 12 items of the Physical subscale, one of the items from the Cognitive Functioning Scale contributed to the prediction of employment status. CONCLUSIONS:The findings emphasize the importance of including physical, psychological, and cognitive functioning variables when predicting employment status among adults with multiple sclerosis.
