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Socioeconomic impact of ankylosing spondylitis in Morocco

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Abstract

The goal of this study was to determine the impact of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) on the socioeconomic well-being of Moroccan patients. One hundred (100) consecutive AS patients (71 men, 29 women) were included. The socioeconomic consequences were studied by measuring direct costs, indirect costs (consequences on work capacity), and intangible costs (social impact) of AS. The mean age at AS onset was 26.85 years ± 11.71 (7–64). The mean disease duration of AS was 12.05 years ± 8.32 (0.5–39). Financial difficulties due to AS were observed in 82% of the patients. In 28% of them, these conditions explained a bad observance to treatments. In 14% of the cases, they led children to leave school to support their handicapped parents. Work disability occurred in 22.9% of initially employed patients. Withdrawal from work was correlated to bad social conditions at work, higher scores of Bath ankylosing spondylitis functional index (BASFI), and absence of adherence to a social security system. Sexual problems were present in 64.2% of the patients and were correlated to higher scores of BASFI. There were also disturbances in housekeeping (65.8%) and in leisure time activities (72.2%). Patients received a financial and a psychological familial support in, respectively, 66 and 87% of the cases. Despite the great familial support, Moroccan AS patients suffer from important socioeconomic consequences because of the illness, the bad socioeconomic conditions, the insufficiency of state help, and the social security problems.

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Acknowledgment

This study has been supported by the “Programme d’Appui à la Recherche Scientifique”: Programme Supporting Scientific Research), Ministry of Scientific Research, Rabat, Morocco.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rheumatology Department, El Ayachi Hospital, Universitary Rabat–Salé Medical School, P.O. Box: 10000, Salé, Morocco

    Hanan Rkain, Fadoua Allali, Aziza Bentalha, Noufissa Lazrak & Najia Hajjaj-Hassouni

  2. Universitary Rabat–Salé Medical School, Rabat, Morocco

    Hanan Rkain, Fadoua Allali & Redouane Abouqal

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  1. Hanan Rkain
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  2. Fadoua Allali
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  3. Aziza Bentalha
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  4. Noufissa Lazrak
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  5. Redouane Abouqal
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  6. Najia Hajjaj-Hassouni
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Correspondence to Hanan Rkain.

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Rkain, H., Allali, F., Bentalha, A. et al. Socioeconomic impact of ankylosing spondylitis in Morocco. Clin Rheumatol 26, 2081–2088 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-007-0622-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-007-0622-1

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