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. 2023 Jan;75(1):14-21.
doi: 10.1002/acr.24982. Epub 2022 Sep 14.

How Does Job Insecurity and Workplace Activity Limitations Relate to Rheumatic Disease Symptom Trajectories in Young Adulthood? A Longitudinal Study

Arif Jetha  1 , Lori Tucker  2 , Faraz Vahid Shahidi  1 , Catherine Backman  3 , Vicki L Kristman  4 , Elizabeth M Hazel  5 , Louise Perlin  6 , Laurie Proulx  7 , Cynthia Chen  8 , Monique A M Gignac  1
Affiliations

How Does Job Insecurity and Workplace Activity Limitations Relate to Rheumatic Disease Symptom Trajectories in Young Adulthood? A Longitudinal Study

Arif Jetha et al. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2023 Jan.

Abstract

Objective: Workplace and labor market conditions are associated with the health of the working population. A longitudinal study was conducted among young adults with rheumatic disease to examine workplace activity limitations and job insecurity and their relationship with disease symptom trajectories.

Methods: Three online surveys were administered to young adults with rheumatic disease over 27 months. Self-reported data on pain, fatigue, and disease activity were collected. Workplace activity limitations and job insecurity were measured. Group-based discrete mixture models determined pain, fatigue, and disease activity trajectory groups. Robust Poisson regression models were fitted to examine the relationship among workplace activity limitations, job insecurity, and trajectory group membership.

Results: In total, 124 participants (mean ± SD age 29 ± 4.5 years) with rheumatic disease were recruited. At baseline, participants reported considerable workplace activity limitations (10.35 ± 5.8), and 36% of participants indicated experiencing job insecurity. We identified 2 latent rheumatic disease symptom trajectory groups. The first group had high persistent pain, fatigue, or disease activity; the second group had low persistent disease symptoms over time. Greater workplace activity limitations were associated with an increased relative risk (RR) of being in the high persistent severe pain (RR 1.02 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.01, 1.03]), fatigue (RR 1.02 [95% CI 1.01, 1.03]), and disease activity trajectory groups (RR 1.02 [95% CI 1.01, 1.03]). Job insecurity was associated with an increased RR of membership in the high persistent pain (RR 1.14 [95% CI 1.04, 1.25]) and disease activity trajectory groups (RR 1.11 [95% CI 1.00, 1.22]).

Conclusion: Workplace activity limitations and job insecurity represent working conditions that are associated with the health of young adults with rheumatic disease and should be examined as potential targets for intervention.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Model of pain trajectory in groups at each survey time point.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Model of fatigue trajectory in groups at each survey time point.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Model of disease activity trajectory in groups at each survey time point.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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