Effects of employees living with an ‘arthritis’ on sickness absence and transitions out of employment: a comparative observational study in the UK
Main finding · Sickness absenceResult — go to the resultDifference in rate 1.35 percentage points 95% CI 0.92–1.78Authors' conclusion
Employees living with arthritis have higher rates of sickness absence and greater rates of transitions from employment to long-term sick and early retirement.
Study context
- Population
- UK employees aged 50 years to state retirement age
- Participants
- 38,928 employees
- Exposure
- Employees with self-reported arthritis vs employees without arthritis
- Outcome
- Sickness absence and transitions from employment to unemployment, long-term sick or early retirement
Methodological detailslongitudinal survey analysis, 10 waves of the UK Household Longitudinal Survey (2009-2019), weighted random-effects multivariable linear probability models
- Longitudinal survey analysis
- 10 waves of the UK Household Longitudinal Survey (2009-2019)
- Weighted random-effects multivariable linear probability models
Main finding
Sickness absence
Difference in rate
1.35 percentage points
95% CI 0.92–1.78
Arthritisvs No arthritis
difference in rate 1.35 percentage points (95% CI 0.92–1.78)
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Difference in rate (percentage points) (CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Transition to long-term sick | 0.79 (0.46–1.13) | |
| Transition to early retirement | 0.58 (0.05–1.11) | |
| −0.500.511.5Difference, percentage points (linear scale) |
Transition to unemployment
- No effect was found
Interaction with socioeconomic classification
- Limited evidence that the effects of arthritis vary by socioeconomic classification
Original publication
Effects of employees living with an ‘arthritis’ on sickness absence and transitions out of employment: a comparative observational study in the UK. RMD Open. Published 29 November 2024. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →