Article

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of return-to-work (RTW) status on health-related
quality of life (HRQOL) over a 2-year period in workers with traumatic limb
injuries and to elucidate factors that may contribute to the association of RTW
with HRQOL. DESIGN: A 2-year repeated-measurements follow-up study using the
generalized estimating equations approach for model fitting to account for
within-subject correlations of HRQOL. SETTING: One teaching hospital.
PARTICIPANTS: Injured patients (N=966, 61% men) with a mean age of 44.7 years.
INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The RTW status, HRQOL
(assessed by the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire), and
activity/participation were repeatedly surveyed at 2 weeks and 1, 3, 6, 12, 18,
and 24 months after injury. A series of regression models was used to examine the
associations between HRQOL and RTW, with sequential adjustment for explanatory
variables such as personal and environmental factors, body structure and
function, activity/participation, and postinjury period. RESULTS: Over a 2-year
study period, 81.2% of the study participants had 1 or more RTW episodes; 38.2%
of them successfully maintained their RTW status until the end. A significant
positive association was found between RTW status and HRQOL. The association
could largely be explained by the domains of activity/participation. A higher
HRQOL was associated with a shorter length of hospital stay, better coping
ability, frequent participation in activities of daily living, and a longer
postinjury period. A reduced HRQOL, however, was observed for participants with
more depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: RTW showed a positive and independent
influence on HRQOL in workers with limb injury. In addition, the
activity/participation domains and the elapsed time since injury largely
explained the association between RTW and HRQOL.
CI - Copyright (c) 2013 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS