OBJECTIVE: To describe work status and factors associated with work disability (WD) in patients with SSc. METHODS: A systematic search strategy in various electronic databases from 1990 to 2011 was performed. All clinical studies concerning SSc patients containing quantitative information on work status and/or factors associated with WD were selected. Extracted were study characteristics, data on work status and/or factors associated with WD. The methodological quality was evaluated in three quality aspects (selection bias, information bias and statistical analysis bias). A best evidence synthesis was employed to analyse the association between potential determinants and WD. RESULTS: Twelve studies, described in 13 papers, including 2758 SSc patients were selected. The methodological quality of one study was high. Employment rates varied between 11 and 82% after an average disease duration ranging from 2.5 to 14 years. There was moderate evidence for an association between more functional disability, more disease-specific symptoms and poorer quality of life on one side and presence of WD on the other. There was moderate evidence for the absence of an association between WD and age, sex and disease subset. Inconsistent evidence was seen for an association between WD and education and disease duration. CONCLUSION: WD is a major consequence of the disease in patients with SSc and is associated with more functional disability, more disease-specific symptoms and poorer quality of life. This emphasizes the need for research into interventions to prevent or reduce WD in patients with SSc, especially in those with a poorer health status.
OBJECTIVE: To describe work status and factors associated with work disability (WD) in patients with SSc. METHODS: A systematic search strategy in various electronic databases from 1990 to 2011 was performed. All clinical studies concerning SSc patients containing quantitative information on work status and/or factors associated with WD were selected. Extracted were study characteristics, data on work status and/or factors associated with WD. The methodological quality was evaluated in three quality aspects (selection bias, information bias and statistical analysis bias). A best evidence synthesis was employed to analyse the association between potential determinants and WD. RESULTS: Twelve studies, described in 13 papers, including 2758 SSc patients were selected. The methodological quality of one study was high. Employment rates varied between 11 and 82% after an average disease duration ranging from 2.5 to 14 years. There was moderate evidence for an association between more functional disability, more disease-specific symptoms and poorer quality of life on one side and presence of WD on the other. There was moderate evidence for the absence of an association between WD and age, sex and disease subset. Inconsistent evidence was seen for an association between WD and education and disease duration. CONCLUSION:WD is a major consequence of the disease in patients with SSc and is associated with more functional disability, more disease-specific symptoms and poorer quality of life. This emphasizes the need for research into interventions to prevent or reduce WD in patients with SSc, especially in those with a poorer health status.
Authors: Ivan Castellví; Saioa Eguiluz; Alejandro Escudero-Contreras; Juan José Ríos; Jaime Calvo-Alén; José Luis Callejas-Rubio; Carlos De la Puente; Carmen Pilar Simeón; Francisco Javier Narváez; Gerard Espinosa; Patricia E Carreira; Manuel Rubio-Rivas; Juan José Alegre; Alfredo Guillén-Del-Castillo; Jose Andrés Román-Ivorra; Vicent Fonollosa Journal: Rheumatol Int Date: 2019-09-14 Impact factor: 2.631
Authors: Rita Th E Harmsen; Tsjitske M Haanstra; Inger N Sierevelt; Elise P Jansma; Peter A Nolte; Melianthe P J Nicolai; Peter D H Wall; Barend J Van Royen Journal: BMC Musculoskelet Disord Date: 2016-05-04 Impact factor: 2.362