Impact of inflammatory bowel diseases on working life: A French nationwide survey

Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) affect working-age patients. Data was lacking concerning the impact on working life. Aims: The French IBD patient association conducted a nationwide survey to assess the burden of IBD at work. Methods: An online survey was performed in 2016, targeting IBD patients working or having worked previously. The results were compared to those observed in the general population. Results: Data from 1410 IBD patients were analyzed (62% Crohn's disease, 35% ulcerative colitis). Four-fifth of respondents were actively employed. Half of them stated that working with IBD was a problem. Compared to the general population, IBD employees had higher rates of permanent contracts, public employment but also of part-time contracts, and highly graduated patients were less likely to reach high qualified jobs. Among the disabling symptoms at work, fatigue was the most frequent (41%) followed by diarrhea (25%) and fecal incontinence (18%). Despite these difficulties, 76% were satisfied with their job. Most patients shared their IBD diagnosis with their colleagues, but 25% of them regretted it. Conclusion: IBD has a strong negative impact on working life. While work satisfaction remains high, IBD affects career plans, highlighting the need for supporting measures to improve patients' work experience. (C) 2019 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.