Women’s Earnings are more Affected by Inflammatory Bowel Disease than Men’s: A Register-Based Swedish Cohort Study

Abstract

Background and Aims

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] are subject to more work disability than the general population. We aimed to estimate the monetary cost of IBD for the individual through assessment of earnings in relation to diagnosis.

Methods

Through linkage of national registers, we identified patients aged 30–55 years at first IBD diagnosis in Sweden in 2002–2011, and same-sex IBD-free siblings. We estimated taxable earnings and disposable income from 5 years before to 5 years after diagnosis.

Results

The 5961 patients [27% Crohn’s disease, 68% ulcerative colitis, 4.3% IBD unclassified] had similar taxable earnings to their 7810 siblings until the year of diagnosis, when earnings decreased and remained lower than for siblings during follow-up. The adjusted difference in earnings over the entire 5-year period after diagnosis was −5% [−8212€; 95% confidence interval: −11 458 to −4967€]. The difference was greater in women than in men, and greater in Crohn’s disease than in ulcerative colitis. When stratifying for sex and IBD subtype and comparing earnings during each year of follow-up, median annual earnings were lower in women with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis than in their sisters during all years of follow-up, whereas the men had similar annual taxable earnings to their brothers. Disposable income was similar between patients and siblings during the investigated time period.

Conclusion

From the year of diagnosis and at least 5 years onwards, patients with IBD had 5% lower earnings than siblings, mainly explained by differences between women with IBD and their sisters. However, there were no differences in disposable income.