Work

Abs1249-pare Consequences of the Disease on the Professional Trajectory of Patients With Spondyloarthritis

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Background: Spondyloarthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that primarily affects young adults. Without proper management, it can progress to joint ankylosis, leading to severe disability. This condition can have major repercussions on patients' professional lives. Objectives: To describe the sociodemographic characteristics of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and evaluate the impact of the disease on their professional lives, as well as the factors contributing to the risk of work stoppage. Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in a university rheumatology department over a four-year period (2020-2024). Inclusion criteria were patients with AS who met the modified New York criteria. Demographic, social, and professional characteristics were collected. Disease activity was assessed using the ASDAS (Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score) and BASDAI (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index), while functional status was measured using the BASFI (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index). Results: We included 115 patients. The average age was 38.4 ± 12.6, with a male predominance of 84.35%. The average disease duration was 10.4 ± 7.4 years. Sixty-three percent of the patients lived in urban areas, 52.4% had a low socioeconomic status, and only 12.6% had completed higher education. The overall unemployment rate was 36.5%, with 26.08% related to the disease. For disease activity, the average ASDAS and BASDAI scores were 3.21 and 5.98, respectively. The mean BASFI score was 5.7. The impact of AS on their professional activity was as follows: 28 patients (24.35%) had been fired at least once during their career, 23 patients (20%) had voluntarily left their previous jobs, 12 patients (10.43%) had been reassigned to different roles, 29 patients (25.21%) had taken long-term sick leave, and no patient had taken early retirement. Factors associated with a risk of work stoppage included: living in a rural area (p = 0.002), manual labor (p = 0.026), exposure to cold at the workplace (p = 0.005), high weekly working hours (p = 0.03), lack of support from colleagues (p = 0.002), low education level (p = 0.02), poor posture at work, and carrying heavy loads (p = 0.03). For specific disease indices, the risk of work stoppage was correlated with a high ASDAS score (p = 0.036), BASFI score (p = 0.00002), and BASDAI score (p = 0.044). Conclusion: Our study confirms that AS is a disabling disease that impacts patients' professional futures. Early diagnosis and management of the disease, along with the implementation of appropriate preventive measures at the workplace, can ensure better professional integration. REFERENCES: NIL . Acknowledgements: NIL . Disclosure of Interests: None declared . © The Authors 2025. This abstract is an open access article published in Annals of Rheumatic Diseases under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Neither EULAR nor the publisher make any representation as to the accuracy of the content. The authors are solely responsible for the content in their abstract including accuracy of the facts, statements, results, conclusion, citing resources etc.

Source: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases

DOI: 10.1016/j.ard.2025.06.1354