Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Occupational work and quality of life in osteoarthritis patients

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Rheumatology International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The ageing European population suffers from chronic diseases, including osteoarthritis (OA). The aim of this study was to investigate the work activity/ability, the quality of life and reciprocal interaction between both in OA patients. A total of 750 OA outpatients were evaluated by a questionnaire study. Work Ability Index (WAI) and General Health Questionnaire 28 (GHQ 28) were used as tools for work ability and quality of life assessment, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed by means of ANOVA tests. A total of 22.2% OA patients were still active professionally. They had decreased work ability and decreased quality of life. A worse work ability and a worse quality of life were related with a blue-collar work, multi-joint localization of OA and co-existence of other diseases. A negative correlation was found between general scores of GHQ 28 and that of WAI and five WAI components. Findings indicate a need for work ability promotion among OA working patients to maintain both, better quality of life and higher level of satisfaction with job.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. The Bone and Joint Decade (2002) 2000–2010—years meant for fighting rheumatic diseases. Warsaw Times on-line, 12 November 2002

  2. Woolf AD (2000) The bone and joint decade 2000–2010. Ann Rheum Dis 59:81–82

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. World Health Organisation Quality of Life Group (1996) What quality of life? WHO quality of life assessment. World Health Forum 17:354–356

    Google Scholar 

  4. WHO definition of Health (1946) Preamble to the constitution of the World Health Organisation as adopted by the interna conference, New York, 19–22 June 1946

  5. Tuomi K, Ilmarinen J, Jahkole A, Karajaninne L, Tulkki A (1998) Work Ability Index. Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki

  6. Makowiec-Dąbrowska T, Sprusińska E, Bazylewicz-Walczak B, Radwan-Wlodarczyk Z, Koszada-Włodarczyk W (2000) Work ability—a new approach to its evaluation. Occup Med 51:31–333

    Google Scholar 

  7. Tuomi K, Ilmarinen J et al (1997) Changes in the work ability of active employees over an 11-year period. Scand J Work Environ Health 23(Suppl 1):49

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Imarinen J, Tuomi K (1993) Work ability index for aging workers. In: Aging at work. Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, pp 142–151

  9. Tuomi K, Huutanen P, Nykyri E, Ilmarinen J (2000) Promotion of work ability, the quality of work and retirement. Occup Med 5:318–324

    Google Scholar 

  10. Tuomi K, Ilmarinen J et al (1991) Aging, work live-style and work ability among Finnish municipal workers. Scand J Work Environ Health 17(Suppl 1):58

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Paluch R, Ćwiek P, Pokorski J (2002) Work ability in Polish farmers. In: 4th conference on aging and work, Cracow, 12–15 June 2002

  12. Bugajska J, Łastowiecka E (2003) Age of earlier retirement in the context of work ability index in selected occupations in Poland. In: 27th international congress on occupational health, Iguassu Faals, Brasil, 23–28 February 2003

  13. Bugajska J, Łastowiecka E (2005) Life style, work environment and work ability in different occupations. In: Costa G, Goedhard WJA, Ilmarinen J (eds) Assessment and promotion of work ablity, health and well—being of ageing workers. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 247–252

    Google Scholar 

  14. Jędryka-Góral A et al (2005) Work activity and work ability in ageing patients suffering from chronic cardiovascular diseases. In: Costa G, Goedhard WJA, Ilmarinen J (eds) Assessment and promotion of work ablity, health and well–being of ageing workers. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 190–195

    Google Scholar 

  15. Ethgen O et al (2002) The effect of health-related quality of life on reported use of health care resources in patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: a longitudinal analysis. J Rheumatol 29(6):1147–1155

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Salaffi F et al (2004) Health-related quality of life in patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis: comparison of generic and disease-specific instruments. Clin Rheumatol. DOI 10:1007/s10067-004-0965-9

  17. Whalley D, McKenna S, De Jong Z (1997) Quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis. Br J Rheumatol 36:884–888

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Bing E, Kawasaki M et al (2003) Quality of life after several treatments for osteoarthritis of the hip. J Orthop Sci 8:32–35

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Gajkowska-Wójcik B, et al (2003) Life quality of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis in the course of 12-month combined treatment with methotrexate and infliximab. Reumatologia 41:135

    Google Scholar 

  20. Hopman-Rock M et al (1997) Quality of life in elderly subjects with pain in the hip or knee. Qual Life Res 6:67

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Wiklund I, Romanus B (1991) A comparison of quality of life before and after arthroplasty in patients who had arthrosis of the hip joint. J Bone Joint Surg Am 73:765–769

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Altman RD, Alarcon GS, Appelrouth D (1991) The American College of Rheumatology criteria for the classification and reporting of OA of the hip. Arthritis Rheum 34:505–514

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Altman RD, Alarcon GS, Appelrouth D (1990) The American College of Rheumatology criteria for the classification and reporting of OA of the hand. Arthritis Rheum 33:1601–1610

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Altman RD, Asch E, Bloch D (1986) Development of criteria for the classification and reporting of OA. Classification of OA of the knee. Arthritis Rheum 29:1039–1049

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Pokorski J (1998) Work Ability Index—Polish version. Department of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Diseases, Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University, Cracow

  26. Merecz D (2001) Evaluation of mental health on the basis of David Goldberg’s questionnaires. Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź

    Google Scholar 

  27. Rossignol A et al (2003) Primary osteoarthritis and occupations: a national cross sectional survey of 10 412 symptomatic patients. Occup Environ Med 60:11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Morehead K et al (2003) Osteoarthritis. Postgrad Med 114(5):11–17

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Sauni R, Oksa P, Vattulainen K, Uitti J (2001) The effects of asthma on the quality of life and employment of construction workers. Occup Med 51:163–167

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Kurtze N, Gundersen KT, Svebak S (1999) Quality of life, functional disability and lifestyle among subgroups of fibromyalgia patients: the significance of anxiety and depression. Br J Med Psychol 72:471–484

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Berwick D, Budman S, Damico-White J et al (1987) Assessment of psychological morbidity in primary care: exploration with the General Health Questionnaire. J Chronic Dis 40:71S–79S

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Emmanuel A, Mason H, Kamm M (2001) Relationship between psychological state and level of activity of extrinsic gut innervation in patients with a functional gut disorder. Gut (Lond) 49(2):209

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Wyller T et al (1997) Subjective well-being one year after stroke. Clin Rehabil 11:139–145

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Lopez-Castillo J et al (1999) Emotional distress and occupational burnout in health care professionals serving HIV-infected patients. Psychother Psychosom Basel 68(6):348

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Gage L, Leidy N (1991) Screening for psychosocial distress: implications for prevention and health promotion. Public Health Nurs 8(4):267–275

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Ahumada L, Alvarez A, Luna Castillo J (2004) Use of the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire [GHQ-28] to detect psychosocial problems in the family physician’s office. Aten Primaria 15 33(8):417–422

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Failde I, Ramos I, Fernandez-Palacin F (2000) Comparison between the GHQ-28 and SF-36 for assessment of the mental health in patients with ischaemic heart disease. Eur J Epidemiol 1:311–316

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Pohijonen T (2001) Perceived work ability of home care workers in relation to individual and work-related factors in different age groups. Occup Med 51:209–217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Lerner D et al (2002) The Work Limitations Questionnaire’s validity and reliability among patients with osteoarthritis. J Clin Epidemiol 55:197–208

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Sierakowski S (2002) Osteoarthritis at the beginning of the 21st century. New Medicine–Osteoarthritis 2:115

  41. Mackiewicz S, Zimmermann-Górska I (1995) Rheumatology, vol 10–11. PZWL, Warsaw, pp 215–224

  42. Chwalińska-Sadowska H (1995) Clinical rheumatology. Foundation of Medical Education Development, Warsaw, pp 177–189

    Google Scholar 

  43. Panayi GS (1988) The basics of rheumatology. PZWL, Warsaw, pp 334–343

    Google Scholar 

  44. Pazdur J (2003) Inflammatory and clinical aspects of osteoarthritis. Terapia 10:143

    Google Scholar 

  45. Wolfe F et al (1999) Preliminary core set of domains and reporting requirements for longitudinal observational studies in rheumatology. J Rheum 26:2

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the State Committee for Scientific Research in frames of the Program PCZ 21-21 commissioned by the Minister of Economy, Labour and Social Policy.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elżbieta Łastowiecka.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Łastowiecka, E., Bugajska, J., Najmiec, A. et al. Occupational work and quality of life in osteoarthritis patients. Rheumatol Int 27, 131–139 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-006-0177-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-006-0177-5

Keywords

Navigation