Factors affecting working ability of patients with rheumathoid arthritis

Abstract

The objective of this work was to examine working disability of patients with RA and connection between the level of education, work motivation and working disability. Examination was performed on 140 RA patients. Functional disability was examined by using Health Assessment Questionnaire-HAQ. Half of the patients (46%) had almost no education. Only 33% of the patients were employed. Among employed patients most of them had elementary or some secondary school degree. 27% of the patients were constantly on sick-leave, 47% used it frequently,21% rarely and 5% never used their sick-leave. Most of those who had university degree and those who worked in private companies had never been on sick-leave. Functional ability measured with HAQ was on average1, 13 ±0, 48. There is a significant correlation between HAQ value and sick-leave(r=0,57;p<0,01).

Keywords

• rheumathoid arthritis
• working ability
• level of education