Impact of CFS/ME on Employment and Productivity in the UK
Author Information
Author(s): Collin Simon M, Crawley Esther, May Margaret T, Sterne Jonathan AC, Hollingworth William
Primary Institution: University of Bristol
Hypothesis
What are the factors associated with discontinuation of employment in patients with CFS/ME and what is the economic impact of this condition?
Conclusion
CFS/ME incurs significant productivity costs among adults who access specialist services.
Supporting Evidence
- 40.7% of patients were currently employed, while 50.1% had discontinued employment due to fatigue-related symptoms.
- Older age, male sex, and disability were identified as independent predictors of employment discontinuation.
- The total productivity costs due to CFS/ME were estimated at £49.2 million among the studied patients.
Takeaway
People with CFS/ME often can't work because they feel very tired and in pain, which costs a lot of money to the economy.
Methodology
Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with employment discontinuation using patient-level data from five NHS CFS/ME services.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the exclusion of patients who did not access specialist services.
Limitations
The study may not represent all adults with CFS/ME as it only includes those who accessed specialist services.
Participant Demographics
Of the 2,170 patients, 1,669 (76.9%) were women, with a mean age of 41.4 years for men and 38.6 years for women.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI 0.38 - 0.66 for men, 95% CI 0.35 - 0.59 for women
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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