IBD is not physically distinct and patients may experience discrimination in the workplace and school.
Dr. Esther Torres, an IBD researcher with Humberto R. Nieves Jiménez, one of the study’s authors. Photo: Introduction to the Journal of Medicine and Public Health.
Symptoms that The patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), illness From krone (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) may become intolerant or uncomfortable in Carry out daily activitiessince the disease Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease They are not physically distinct.
This may lead to these patients being discriminated against at work and at school. To specifically describe these experiences, health professionals work at Puerto Rico conducted a study in Health Services Clinic Third, presented at the scientific meeting Advances in IBD in 2021.
The study was conducted using questionnaires with social, demographic, psychological and medical questions. qualitative and quantitative data It was analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Among the results obtained, the data of about 120 patients who were evaluated were detailed. At the time of the interview, 83 patients were employed, 19% did not tell their employer about IBD, 19% felt discriminated against at work, and 38% said the disease limited their work goals, according to the research summary.
Among the workers, 89% had to leave early or be absent due to manifestations of illness. UCSD patients were significantly more likely to miss work than CD patients.
About 69 patients were being studied with some of these conditions. 14% did not report an IBD diagnosis to their school, 12% felt discriminated against because of their condition, and 32% said the disease limited their educational goals.
87% of those who studied had to miss or leave school early due to manifestations of illness and 22% of the participants considered themselves a disabled person because of their condition, while 8% did not know whether they should consider themselves such.
For this reason, the data from this study reinforce the impact of IBD at work and academic level in this patient group.
The Absenteeism is an important factor who affects Productivity in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Perception of disability can also affect Work and study experiences of these patients.