Background/Purpose: People with arthritis are at risk of work disability. Job accommodation and educational programs delivered before imminent work loss can minimize work disability, yet are not widely implemented. The Work It Study is a randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of a work barrier problem solving program delivered by physical and occupational therapists to prevent work loss over a two year period among people with arthritis and rheumatological conditions (i.e. lupus, fibromyalgia and scleroderma) who are concerned about their ability to continue working due to their health. The purpose of this abstract is to describe the baseline work participation status of the subjects.

Methods: Eligibility criteria: age 23-65, self-report of physician diagnosed arthritis or rheumatic condition, report of “any concern about working now or in the near future due to your health”, working at least 15 hours a week, plans to continue working, and work or live in Massachusetts. Subjects were recruited through community sources, rheumatology offices, and a medical registry. Work participation was measured at baseline. Self-reported data collected by telephone included i) work status/work hours, ii) number days off from work due to arthritis, iii) Work Limitation Questionnaire (WLQ), iv) WHO Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (HPQ), and v) Work Maintenance Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (WMSEQ). Other baseline data included visual analogue scales of pain, fatigue, stress, and job satisfaction, physical function (Health Assessment Questionnaire) and demographics (e.g., age, gender, ethnicity, education, and marital status), self-report diagnosis of arthritis or rheumatological condition.
Results: 428 people screened to date; 177 completed baseline data collection and were randomized. The mean age of the sample is 50 years old, 65% are white, and the majority are female. All participants were employed at baseline and worked 36.7 hours a week on average and had 3.4 days away from work due to arthritis in the past 3 months. The WLQ- output demand scale score showed respondents were limited on-the-job 48% of time in the past two weeks (SD=27.9; 0 least limited, 100 most limited). The HPQ presenteeism score was 1.04 (SD=0.34; 0.25 least productive, 2.0 most productive).  The WMSEQ score was 2.85 (SD=0.70; 0 least confident, 3 most confident). Demographic and clinical variables are listed in Table 1.

Conclusion: To date, the Work It sample seems to have presenteeism work limitations and high pain, fatigue, and stress. Thus, participants seem to be at risk of increasing work disability over the upcoming few years.