Determinants of work and social participation in patients with psoriatic arthritis in the Netherlands: an observational study

BACKGROUND: Psoriatic arthritis can cause pain, disability, and permanent joint damage. This can lead to impairments in work and social participation. Little is known about the extent of these impairments in routine practice. With this study, we aim to examine the extent of work and activity impairment in (subgroups of) Dutch patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and to examine determinants associated with this impairment. METHODS: This is an observational study using data collected from the electronic health records of PsA patients treated at the Sint Maartenskliniek, the Netherlands. Data about work and activity impairment were collected via the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire. To compare our PsA-cohort with the Dutch general population, we used age- and sex-matched data derived from the Central Bureau of Statistics. Regression analyses were performed to examine determinants of work and activity impairment. RESULTS: In total, 246 patients were included, of which 126 (51.2%) were female. Mean age (S.D.) was 55.7 (13.2) years. Compared with the Dutch general population, work for pay (WFP) was significantly lower in PsA (52.9% versus 62.6%, P < 0.001). In PsA, younger age and better physical function were associated with WFP status (P < 0.05). Higher disease activity, worse physical function, and worse mental health-related quality of life were associated with both more work and activity impairment (P < 0.05). Furthermore, reaching low disease activity status (LDA) according to Psoriatic ArthritiS Disease Activity Score (PASDAS; ≤ 3.2) was associated with less work and activity impairment than reaching LDA according to DAS28-CRP (≤ 2.9) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In PsA patients, worse physical function was associated with a lower likelihood of having WFP, and higher work and activity impairment. PASDAS LDA as a goal for treat to target, compared to DAS28-CRP, appears to favour the reduction of work and activity impairment. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s41927-022-00279-7.