Dataset Information

Is the work ability index useful to evaluate absence days in ankylosing spondylitis patients? A cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The work incapacity of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) ranges between 3% and 50% in Europe. In many countries, work incapacity is difficult to quantify. The work ability index (WAI) is applied to measure the work ability in workers, but it is not well investigated in patients.

Aims

To investigate the work incapacity in terms of absence days in patients with AS and to evaluate whether the WAI reflects the absence from work.

Hypothesis

Absence days can be estimated based on the WAI and other variables.

Design

Cross-sectional design.

Setting

In a secondary care centre in Switzerland, the WAI and a questionnaire about work absence were administered in AS patients prior to cardiovascular training. The number of absence days was collected retrospectively. The absence days were estimated using a two-part regression model.

Participants

92 AS patients (58 men (63%)).

Inclusion criteria

AS diagnosis, ability to cycle, age between 18 and 65 years.

Exclusion criteria

severe heart disease.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Absence days.

Results

Of the 92 patients, 14 received a disability pension and 78 were in the working process. The median absence days per year of the 78 patients due to AS alone and including other reasons was 0 days (IQR 0-12.3) and 2.5 days (IQR 0-19), respectively. The WAI score (regression coefficient=-4.66 (p<0.001, CI -6.1 to -3.2), 'getting a disability pension' (regression coefficient=-106.8 (p<0.001, 95% CI -141.6 to -72.0) and other not significant variables explained 70% of the variance in absence days (p<0.001), and therefore may estimate the number of absence days.

Conclusions

Absences in our sample of AS patients were equal to pan-European countries. In groups of AS patients, the WAI and other variables are valid to estimate absence days with the help of a two-part regression model.

SUBMITTER: Meyer K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3612752 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Is the work ability index useful to evaluate absence days in ankylosing spondylitis patients? A cross-sectional study.

Meyer Katharina K Niedermann Karin K Tschopp Alois A Klipstein Andreas A

BMJ open 20130321 3

<h4>Background</h4>The work incapacity of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) ranges between 3% and 50% in Europe. In many countries, work incapacity is difficult to quantify. The work ability index (WAI) is applied to measure the work ability in workers, but it is not well investigated in patients.<h4>Aims</h4>To investigate the work incapacity in terms of absence days in patients with AS and to evaluate whether the WAI reflects the absence from work.<h4>Hypothesis</h4>Absence days can be estimated bas ...[more]

PMID: 23524041

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Project description:BackgroundPreference-based measures of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), such as the EQ-5D or the SF-6D, are essential for health economic evaluation. However, they are rarely included in clinical trials of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). This study aims to develop mapping algorithms to predict EQ-5D-3L and EQ-5D-5L health utility scores from the Bath Ankylosing Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI).MethodsPatients with AS were recruited from the largest tertiary hospital in Shandong province, China, between December 2019 and October 2020. Patients were selected by convenience sampling method according to the following criteria: (1) diagnosed with AS according to the New York criteria; (2) aged 18 years and above; and (3) without mental disorders; (4) able to understand the questionnaires; (5) without serious complications. There were 243 patients who completed the face-to-face questionnaire survey, and 5 cases with missing values in key variables were excluded. Ordinary least squares, censored least absolute deviations, Tobit, adjusted limited dependent variable mixture model and beta-mixture model (BM) in the direct approach and ordered logit and multinomial logit (Mlogit) model in the response approach were used to develop mapping algorithms. Mean absolute error, root mean square error, Spearman's correlation coefficient and concordance correlation coefficient were used to access predictive performance.ResultsThe 238 patients with AS had a mean age of 35.19 (SD = 9.59) years, and the majority (74.47%) were male. The observed EQ-5D-3L and EQ-5D-5L health utility values were 0.88 (SD = 0.12) and 0.74 (SD = 0.27), respectively. The EQ-5D-5L had higher conceptual overlap with the BASDAI and BASFI than the EQ-5D-3L did. The Mlogit was the best-performing model for the EQ-5D-3L, and the BM showed better performance in predicting EQ-5D-5L than other direct and indirect mapping models did.ConclusionThis study demonstrates that the EQ-5D-5L, rather than EQ-5D-3L, should be selected as the target outcome measure of HRQoL in patients with AS in China, and the BM mapping algorithm could be used to predict EQ-5D-5L values from BASDAI and BASFI for health economic evaluation.

Project description:We have compared synovial biopsies from ankylosing spondylitis and undifferentiated spondylitis patients with healthy controls and osteoarthritis patients Objective: In spondylarthropies, whole-genome gene expression profiling studies have been limited to peripheral blood to date. By undertaking a study in knee synovial biopsies from spondylarthropy (SpA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients we aimed to identified joint-specific candidate genes and pathways. These pathways may mediate systemic inflammation driven joint damaging processes and more specifically, the osteoproliferation that is characteristic of these conditions. Methods: RNA was extracted from six seronegative SpA, two AS, three osteoarthritis (OA) and four normal control knee synovial biopsies. Whole genome expression profiling was undertaken using the Illumina DASL system, which assays 24000 cDNA probes. Differentially expressed candidate genes were then validated using quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry. Results: 416 differentially expressed genes were identified that clearly delineated between AS/SpA and control groups. Pathway analysis showed altered gene-expression in oxidoreductase activity, osteoblast activity, B-cell associated, matrix catabolic, and metabolic pathways. The inflammatory mediator, MMP3, was strongly upregulated in AS/SpA samples and the Wnt pathway inhibitors DKK3 and Kremen1 were downregulated. Conclusion: Pathways mediating both systemic inflammation as well as local tissue changes were identified. This suggests initial systemic inflammation in spondylarthropies transfers to and persists in the local joint environment, subsequently mediating changes in genes directly involved in the destructive tissue remodelling. Fifteen knee synovial biopsy tissue samples consisting of six seronegative spondyloarthropy (SpA), two ankylosing spondylitis (AS), three osteoarthritis (OA) and four normal control biopsies were obtained from the Synovial Tissue Bank at the Repatriation General Hospital in Adelaide, South Australia with the appropriate ethical approval (Supplementary Table 1). All patients provided informed written consent.

Dataset Information

Is the work ability index useful to evaluate absence days in ankylosing spondylitis patients? A cross-sectional study.

Background

Aims

Hypothesis

Design

Setting

Participants

Inclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Is the work ability index useful to evaluate absence days in ankylosing spondylitis patients? A cross-sectional study.

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