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Comparative Study
. 2017 Dec 14;23(46):8182-8192.
doi: 10.3748/wjg.v23.i46.8182.

Prevalence of- and risk factors for work disability in Dutch patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Lieke M Spekhorst  1 , Bas Oldenburg  2 , Ad A van Bodegraven  3 , Dirk J de Jong  4 , Floris Imhann  1 , Andrea E van der Meulen-de Jong  5 , Marieke J Pierik  6 , Janneke C van der Woude  7 , Gerard Dijkstra  1 , Geert D'Haens  8 , Mark Löwenberg  8 , Rinse K Weersma  1 , Eleonora A M Festen  9 ; Parelsnoer Institute and the Dutch Initiative on Crohn and Colitis
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Prevalence of- and risk factors for work disability in Dutch patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Lieke M Spekhorst et al. World J Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

Aim: To determine the prevalence of work disability in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and to assess risk factors associated with work disability.

Methods: For this retrospective cohort study, we retrieved clinical data from the Dutch IBD Biobank on July 2014, containing electronic patient records of 3388 IBD patients treated in the eight University Medical Centers in the Netherlands. Prevalence of work disability was assessed in 2794 IBD patients and compared with the general Dutch population. Multivariate analyses were performed for work disability (sick leave, partial and full disability) and long-term full work disability (> 80% work disability for > 2 years).

Results: Prevalence of work disability was higher in Crohn's disease (CD) (29%) and ulcerative colitis (UC) (19%) patients compared to the general Dutch population (7%). In all IBD patients, female sex, a lower education level, and extra-intestinal manifestations, were associated with work disability. In CD patients, an age > 40 years at diagnosis, disease duration > 15 years, smoking, surgical interventions, and anti-TNFα use were associated with work disability. In UC patients, an age > 55 years, and immunomodulator use were associated with work disability. In CD patients, a lower education level (OR = 1.62, 95%CI: 1.02-2.58), and in UC patients, disease complications (OR = 3.39, 95%CI: 1.09-10.58) were associated with long-term full work disability.

Conclusion: The prevalence of work disability in IBD patients is higher than in the general Dutch population. Early assessment of risk factors for work disability is necessary, as work disability is substantial among IBD patients.

Keywords: Crohn’s disease; Health care costs; Inflammatory bowel disease; Ulcerative colitis; Work disability.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors have no conflict of interest related to the manuscript.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Percentage of work disability per age category in females and males. Comparing work disability rates in patients with CD and patients with UC with the general Dutch population. A: Work disability in females; B: Work disability in males. CD: Crohn’s disease; UC: Ulcerative colitis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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