Article

The aim is to explore the association between self-rated health and
employment status in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) when controlling for
age, gender, functional disability, disease duration, anxiety and depression.
METHOD: One hundred eighty-four people with MS completed a sociodemographic
questionnaire that included questions on employment status, the first item of the
Short Form-36 Health Survey and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.
Functional disability was assessed using the Expanded Disability Status Scale.
The probability of good self-rated health in employed persons was investigated
using stepwise logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Patients with MS who
reported good self-rated health were 2.46 times more likely to be employed (95%
confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-5.59). Patients without anxiety were 2.64 times
more likely to be employed (95%CI: 1.23-5.67). Patients with higher EDSS scores
were 0.49 times less likely to be employed (95%CI: 0.33-0.70). Age, gender,
disease duration and the presence of depression did not show an increased chance
of patient employment. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with MS with good self-rated health
are more likely to be employed, even after adjusting for age, gender, education,
functional disability, disease duration, depression and anxiety. Dependent on the
findings of longitudinal studies unravelling the relevant causal pahways,
self-rated health might be used as a quick and cheap prognostic marker, which
could warn about the possible loss of employment, or changes in functional
disability.

Langue : ANGLAIS