Affiliations: [a] Arthritis Program, Division of Population Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, USA
| [b]
Georgia State University, School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, USA
| [c] Senior Research Scientist, Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States, Rockville, MD, USA | [d] Affiliate Faculty, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Kristina A. Theis, PhD, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, Mailstop F-78, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. Tel.: +1 770 488 1351; E-mail: KTheis@cdc.gov.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Negative employment consequences of arthritis are known but not fully understood. Examining transitions in and out of work can provide valuable information. OBJECTIVE:To examine associations of arthritis with employment during the Great Recession and predictors of employment transitions. METHODS:Data were for 3,277 adults ages 30–62 years with and without arthritis from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey followed in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 2008-2009. Employment (working vs. not working) was ascertained at baseline and five follow-ups. We estimated Kaplan Meier survival curves with 95% confidence intervals (CI) separately for time to stopping work (working at baseline) and starting work (not working at baseline) using Cox proportional hazards regression models with hazard ratios (HR). RESULTS:Arthritis was significantly associated with greater risk of stopping work (HR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.3–2.2; adjusted HR= 1.5, 95% CI = 1.1–2.0) and significantly associated with 40% lower chance of starting work (HR = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.4–0.8), which reversed on adjustment (HR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.0–2.2). Employment predictors were mixed by outcome. CONCLUSIONS:During the Great Recession, adults with arthritis stopped work at higher rates and started work at lower rates than those without arthritis.
Keywords: Rheumatic disease, work, economic impact, population-based, public health
