Systemic sclerosis & Raynaud's
Work participation and work disability in Belgian patients with systemic sclerosis
Authors' conclusion
Work participation in SSc patients is comparable to the general population, although work disability and sick leave remain substantial.
Study context
- Population
- Adult SSc patients followed in a multidisciplinary setting at Ghent University Hospital, Belgium (February 2020-March 2021); 84% fulfilling the 2013 ACR/EULAR criteria81 of working age
- Participants
- 108 patients
- Outcome
- Employment rate vs general population, adjusted for age and sex
Methodological detailssingle-centre, Belgian reference centre, binary logistic regression, negative binomial regression
- Single-centre
- Belgian reference centre
- Binary logistic regression
- Negative binomial regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Employment among participants of working age (18-65 y/o)
Crude employment rate
64%
Standardized employment ratio vs general population
0.90
95% CI 0.69–1.17
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Reasons for not having a paid job
- Work disability (most common reason)
- 20%
- Work-disabled patients older, less well educated and more functionally impaired vs those with a paid job
Health-related sick leave in the previous year
- Sick leave in previous year
- 79%
- Days absent associated with internal organ involvement, IRR
- 0.3 (95% CI 0.1-0.8)
- Days absent associated with working full-time, IRR
- 0.3 (95% CI 0.1-0.7)
- Negative binomial regression
Original publication
Work participation and work disability in Belgian patients with systemic sclerosis. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 22 December 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →