title: Long-term disability and prolonged sick leaves as outcome measurements in ankylosing spondylitis. Possible predictive factors.
abstract: Prognostic factors for the occurrence of longterm disability and prolonged sick leave were determined in 182 patients with ankylosing spondylitis. A significant relationship appeared between functional disability (determined by the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire) and sex, age at disease onset, and the number of peripheral joints involved. Using a life-table approach, the probability of prolonged sick leaves was associated with peripheral joint involvement and work that involved carrying heavy loads. Long-term disability was more frequent after work involving exposure to cold conditions (relative risk [RR] = 2.01) and prolonged standing postures (RR = 1.34), while sedentary work (RR = 0.35) and formal vocational rehabilitation programs (RR = 0.57) seemed to protect against long-term disability.
authors.affiliation: Clinique de Rhumatologie, CHU de Nancy, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guillemin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Briançon
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pourel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gaucher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000503:physiopathology*