Background
Methods
Design
Participants
Ethical approval
Measures
Statistical analysis
Results
Demographics, work and self-reported health
Workers with MS (N = 163) | General working population (N = 163) | Test statistics | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | Mean | Median | IQR | Min - max | % | Mean | Median | IQR | Min-Max | X2 | U |
p
| |
Gender (female) (in %) | 77.3% | 76.7% | 0.17 | 0.89 | |||||||||
Age | 42.5 | 43.0 | 15.0 | 24–64 | 42.5 | 44.0 | 16.0 | 19–67 | 13163.0 | 0.89 | |||
Educational level | 3.07 | 0.22 | |||||||||||
Low (%) | 14.1% | 14.7% | |||||||||||
Medium (%) | 41.7% | 50.3% | |||||||||||
High (%) | 44.2% | 35.0% | |||||||||||
Self-rated health (scale 1–5)a | 2.9 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 1–5 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 2–5 | 9091.0 | < 0.001* | |||
Number of work hours per week | 29.1 | 30.0 | 17.0 | 6–60 | 29.9 | 30.0 | 16.0 | 5–60 | 12520.5 | 0.37 | |||
Work ability (scale 0–10)a | 7.1 | 8.0 | 2.0 | 0–10 | 7.7 | 8.0 | 2.0 | 0–10 | 10590.5 | 0.006* | |||
Work Functioning Physical (scale 0–100)a | 77.4 | 90.0 | 35.6 | 0–100 | 89.9 | 100.0 | 15.0 | 25–100 | 4250.0 | 0.001* | |||
Work Functioning Flexibility (scale 0–100)a | 75.3 | 85.0 | 25.0 | 0–100 | 81.3 | 87.5 | 20.8 | 16.7–100 | 10425.0 | 0.46 |
Workers with MS (N = 163) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Median | IQR | Mean | SD | Min-Max | |
Disability level (1–10) | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0–6 | ||
Disease duration (in years) | 6.0 | 10.0 | 0–31 | ||
Depression (0–21) | 2.0 | 4.0 | 0–14 | ||
Anxiety (0–21) | 5.0 | 5.0 | 0–21 | ||
Fatigue Impact (0–84) | 33.7 | 15.4 | 0–73 | ||
Cognitive and neuropsychiatric functioning (0–61) | 19.0 | 12.0 | 1–51 | ||
Information processing speed (0–110) | 53.9 | 8.3 | 31–75 |
Work capabilities
Workers with MS (N = 163) | General working population (N = 163) | Test statistics | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Work capabilities | % | Mean | Median | IQR | Min-max | % | Mean | Median | IQR | Min-max | X2 | U |
p
|
i. Use of knowledge and skills in your work | |||||||||||||
A. Importance | 4.6 | 5.0 | 1 | 3–5 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 1 | 2–5 | 9823.0 | < 0.001* | |||
B. Opportunities | 4.4 | 4.0 | 1 | 2–5 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 0 | 1–5 | 22062.0 | < 0.001* | |||
C. Able to achieve | 4.3 | 4.0 | 1 | 1–5 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 1 | 1–5 | 23190.0 | < 0.001* | |||
Included in capability set (in %) | 85% | 67% | 14.9 | < 0.001* | |||||||||
ii. Development of knowledge and skills in your work | |||||||||||||
A. Importance | 4.2 | 4.0 | 1 | 1–5 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 1 | 1–5 | 11637.5 | 0.42 | |||
B. Opportunities | 3.9 | 4.0 | 0 | 1–5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 1 | 1–5 | 9802.5 | < 0.001* | |||
C. Able to achieve | 3.7 | 4.0 | 1 | 1–5 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 1 | 1–5 | 11511.0 | 0.33 | |||
Included in capability set (in %) | 57% | 49% | 2.6 | 0.11 | |||||||||
iii. Involvement in important decisions | |||||||||||||
A. Importance | 4.3 | 4.0 | 1 | 2–5 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 0 | 1–5 | 9066.5 | < 0.001* | |||
B. Opportunities | 3.9 | 4.0 | 2 | 2–5 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 1 | 1–5 | 8654.5 | < 0.001* | |||
C. Able to achieve | 3.8 | 4.0 | 1 | 2–5 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 1 | 1–5 | 9136.5 | < 0.001* | |||
Included in capability set (in %) | 61% | 39% | 15.9 | < 0.001* | |||||||||
iv. Building and maintaining meaningful contacts at work | |||||||||||||
A. Importance | 4.4 | 4.0 | 1 | 1–5 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 1 | 2–5 | 10541.5 | < 0.001* | |||
B. Opportunities | 4.2 | 4.0 | 1 | 1–5 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 0 | 1–5 | 10433.0 | < 0.001* | |||
C. Able to achieve | 4.1 | 4.0 | 1 | 1–5 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 1 | 2–5 | 10759.0 | 0.001* | |||
Included in capability set (in %) | 82% | 68% | 8.7 | 0.003 | |||||||||
v. Setting your own goals in your work | |||||||||||||
A. Importance | 4.1 | 4.0 | 1 | 2–5 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 1 | 1–5 | 10734.0 | 0.005 | |||
B. Opportunities | 3.9 | 4.0 | 1 | 2–5 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 1 | 1–5 | 10827.0 | 0.007 | |||
C. Able to achieve | 3.8 | 4.0 | 1 | 2–5 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 1 | 1–5 | 11152.0 | 0.03 | |||
Included in capability set (in %) | 63% | 54% | 2.5 | 0.11 | |||||||||
vi. Having a good income | |||||||||||||
A. Importance | 4.1 | 4.0 | 1 | 1–5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 0 | 2–5 | 12105.0 | 0.41 | |||
B. Opportunities | 3.9 | 4.0 | 1 | 2–5 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 1 | 1–5 | 8276.5 | < 0.001* | |||
C. Able to achieve | 3.8 | 4.0 | 1 | 2–5 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 1 | 1–5 | 8092.0 | < 0.001* | |||
Included in capability set (in %) | 62% | 39% | 16.7 | < 0.001* | |||||||||
vii. Contributing to something valuable in your work | |||||||||||||
A. Importance | 4.3 | 4.0 | 1 | 3–5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 1 | 1–5 | 9733.5 | < 0.001* | |||
B. Opportunities | 4.1 | 4.0 | 1 | 2–5 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 1 | 1–5 | 8467.5 | < 0.001* | |||
C. Able to achieve | 3.9 | 4.0 | 2 | 2–5 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 1 | 1–5 | 9660.0 | < 0.001* | |||
Included in capability set (in %) | 71% | 54% | 9.1 | 0.002* | |||||||||
Capability set | 4.8 | 5.0 | 3 | 0–7 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 4 | 0–7 | 9649.0 | < 0.001* | |||
Overall item: Altogether, I think I have sufficient opportunities to continue to work. | 4.3 | 4.0 | 1 | 2–5 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 0 | 1–5 | 8476.0 | < 0.001* |
Differences between the importance (A), being enabled (B) and being able to achieve (C) work values
Workers with MS (N = 163) | General working population (N = 163) | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Capability aspects | (A-B)a | (A-C)a | (B-C)a | (A-B)a | (A-C)a | (B-C)a | ||||||
Z |
p
| Z |
p
| Z |
p
| Z |
p
| Z |
p
| Z |
p
| |
i. Use of knowledge and skills in your work | −5.2 | < 0.001** | − 5.6 | < 0.001** | − 2.5 | 0.009* | − 6.2 | < 0.001** | − 6.0 | < 0.001** | − 0.8 | 0.40 |
ii. Development of knowledge and skills in your work | − 5.5 | < 0.001** | − 7.3 | < 0.001** | − 4.2 | < 0.001** | −6.9 | < 0.001** | − 7.1 | < 0.001** | − 0.2 | 0.85 |
iii. Involvement in important decisions | −6.7 | < 0.001** | − 7.3 | < 0.001** | − 2.8 | 0.005* | − 6.7 | < 0.001** | −7.1 | < 0.001** | − 0.5 | 0.59 |
iv. Building and maintaining meaningful contacts at work | −5.1 | < 0.001** | − 6.0 | < 0.001** | −2.6 | 0.008* | −5.3 | < 0.001** | − 5.8 | < 0.001** | − 1.4 | 0.16 |
v. Setting your own goals in your work | −4.9 | < 0.001** | −5.7 | < 0.001** | −2.9 | 0.004* | −5.2 | < 0.001** | −5.6 | < 0.001** | −1.7 | 0.09 |
vi. Having a good income | −5.6 | < 0.001** | −5.7 | < 0.001** | −1.3 | 0.184 | −7.6 | < 0.001** | −7.8 | < 0.001** | −1.9 | 0.05 |
vii. Contributing to something valuable in your work | −4.6 | < 0.001** | −6.1 | < 0.001** | − 4.5 | < 0.001** | − 6.3 | < 0.001** | −6.8 | < 0.001** | −1.2 | 0.22 |
Associations between work capabilities, work and health outcomes
Workers with MS (N = 163) | General working population (N = 163) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Capability set | Overall capability item | Capability set | Overall capability item | |
Age | −0.03 | − 0.17 | − 0.04 | − 0.07 |
Work hours | 0.19 | 0.29* | 0.21 | 0.16 |
Work ability | 0.25* | 0.43* | 0.28* | 0.39* |
Work Functioning-Physical | 0.19 | 0.39* | 0.22 | 0.19 |
Work Functioning-Flexibility | 0.30* | 0.27* | 0.11 | 0.25 |
Absenteeism | −0.26* | −0.29* | 0.02 | −0.02 |
Presenteeism | −0.31* | −0.42* | n.a. | n.a. |
Self-rated health | 0.25* | 0.39* | 0.01 | 0.21 |
Disease duration | 0.12 | 0.02 | n.a. | n.a. |
Disability level | −0.05 | −0.13 | n.a. | n.a. |
Cognitive and neuro-psychiatric functioning | −0.35* | −0.44* | n.a. | n.a. |
Information processing speed | 0.05 | 0.09 | n.a. | n.a. |
Depression | −0.43* | −0.39* | n.a. | n.a. |
Anxiety | −0.31* | −0.38* | n.a. | n.a. |
Fatigue impact | −0.34* | −0.44* | n.a. | n.a. |