Reexamining the arthritis-employment interface: Perceptions of arthritis-work spillover among employed adults
Corresponding Author
Monique A. M. Gignac
Arthritis Community Research & Evaluation Unit, Toronto Western Research Institute at the University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Arthritis Community Research & Evaluation Unit, The Toronto Western Research Institute, Main Pavilion, 10th floor, Room 10-316, 399 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 2S8Search for more papers by this authorDeborah Sutton
Arthritis Community Research & Evaluation Unit, Toronto Western Research Institute at the University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorElizabeth M. Badley
Arthritis Community Research & Evaluation Unit, Toronto Western Research Institute at the University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Monique A. M. Gignac
Arthritis Community Research & Evaluation Unit, Toronto Western Research Institute at the University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Arthritis Community Research & Evaluation Unit, The Toronto Western Research Institute, Main Pavilion, 10th floor, Room 10-316, 399 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 2S8Search for more papers by this authorDeborah Sutton
Arthritis Community Research & Evaluation Unit, Toronto Western Research Institute at the University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorElizabeth M. Badley
Arthritis Community Research & Evaluation Unit, Toronto Western Research Institute at the University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Objective
To examine employed individuals' perceptions of arthritis-work spillover (AWS), the reciprocal influence of arthritis on work and work on arthritis, and the demographic, illness, and work context factors associated with AWS.
Methods
The study group comprised 492 employed individuals with osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis. Participants completed an interview-administered, structured questionnaire assessing AWS, demographic (e.g., age, sex), illness (e.g., disease type, pain, activity limitations), and work context (e.g., workplace control, hours of work) variables. Principal components analysis, reliability analysis, and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the data.
Results
A single factor solution emerged for AWS. The scale had an internal reliability of 0.88. Respondents were more likely to report that work interfered with caring for their arthritis than they were to report that their disease affected their work performance. Younger respondents, those with more fatigue and workplace activity limitations, and those working in trades and transportation reported more AWS. Individuals with more control over their work schedules reported less AWS.
Conclusion
The results of this study extend research on arthritis by reexamining the interface between arthritis and employment. This study introduces a new measure of AWS that enhances the range of tools available to researchers and clinicians examining the impact of arthritis in individuals' lives.
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