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Labour Force Participation Among Individuals with Hepatitis C in the US

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Abstract

Background: In 1996, the number of persons newly infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the US was estimated to be 36 000. As a chronic disease that primarily affects younger persons, hepatitis C has the potential to influence employment considerably.

Objective: To estimate employment effects associated with hepatitis C morbidity.

Design: An economic model of labour supply, which used the outcome measure workforce participation (yes/no), was applied.

Study participants: The study samples (by gender) were comprised of persons 18–65 years of age, with and without serological evidence of HCV infection, and with normal or elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III from 1988–1994. Results: After controlling for the potential confounding effects of demographic, social, and economic factors, positive HCV status/normal ALT level in males was associated with a 10.7% reduction in labour force participation (when compared with negative HCV status). Positive HCV status and elevated ALT levels was associated with a 17.5% reduction in employment. The results for females were not statistically significant.

Conclusions: Nationally, the employment response for HCV-positive status and elevated ALT levels translates into an excess non-employment of 48 000 males annually.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the help and advice of Mitchell Halperin, Nadine MacLean, Gerald Minuk, Julia Uhanova, and Don Sin in the preparation of this manuscript. This paper is based on a project that was partly funded by Health Canada. The authors have provided no information on conflicts of interest directly relevant to the content of this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Alberta and Institute of Health Economics, Edmonton, Canada

    Philip Jacobs

  2. Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong

    Ying Chu Ng

  3. Institute of Health Economics, #1200-10405 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T5J 3N4, Canada

    Tania Stafinski

  4. American Red Cross Holland Laboratories, Rockville, Maryland, USA

    Roger Dodd

  5. Yukon Medical Office of Health, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada

    Bryce Larke

  6. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    Winnie Wong

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  1. Philip Jacobs
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  2. Ying Chu Ng
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  3. Tania Stafinski
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  4. Roger Dodd
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  5. Bryce Larke
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  6. Winnie Wong
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Correspondence to Philip Jacobs.

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Jacobs, P., Ng, Y.C., Stafinski, T. et al. Labour Force Participation Among Individuals with Hepatitis C in the US. Pharmacoeconomics 21, 565–572 (2003). https://doi.org/10.2165/00019053-200321080-00003

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00019053-200321080-00003

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