Costa DA, Carvalho FM, Vieira NM, Falcão GGSC, Sarmento VA, Brites C, Lins-Kusterer L. Work ability and associated factors in people living with human T-cell leukemia virus type 1.
Rev Soc Bras Med Trop 2022;
55:e0111. [PMID:
35946625 PMCID:
PMC9344948 DOI:
10.1590/0037-8682-0111-2022]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background:
Infection with the human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) affects an
estimated 10-15 million people worldwide. However, knowledge of the impact
of HTLV-1 infection on work ability is lacking. This study aimed to measure
the frequency and identify factors associated with poor work ability in
patients living with HTLV-1.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study included 207 individuals infected with HTLV-1 who
attended the University Hospital in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. HTLV-1
antibodies were detected in the participants’ blood by enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and confirmed by western blotting. Participants
answered a questionnaire on sociodemographic data, personal habits, clinical
data, health-related quality of life, and work ability, evaluated using the
work ability index questionnaire. A Poisson regression model with a robust
variance estimate was used to identify the factors associated with the
prevalence of poor work ability.
Results:
Patients mean age was 55.2, ranging from 19 to 84 years, 73.0% were females,
100% had monthly family income less than US$ 394, and 33.8% presented HTLV-1
associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). No individual
was classified as having excellent work ability. Poor work ability
prevalence was strongly associated (prevalence ratio; 95% confidence
interval [CI]) with sedentarism (1.30; 1.03-1.65), neurological symptoms
(1.25; 1.02-1.52), and low physical (0.95; 0.94-0.96) and mental (0.98;
0.97-0.99) component summaries of health-related quality of life.
Conclusions:
Poor work ability among people living with HTLV-1 is associated with
sedentarism, neurologic symptoms, and low health-related quality of
life.
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