To Örebro University

BACKGROUND/AIM: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have 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 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 5,961 patients (27% Crohn's disease, 68% ulcerative colitis, 4.3% IBD unclassified) had similar taxable earnings as their 7,810 siblings until the year of diagnosis, when earnings decreased and remained lower than in siblings during follow-up. The adjusted difference in earnings over the entire 5-year period after diagnosis was -5% (-8,212€; 95%CI: -11,458 to-4,967). The difference was larger in women than in men, and larger in Crohn's disease than in ulcerative colitis. When stratifying for sex and IBD subtype and comparing earnings during each year of follow-up, the 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 as their brothers. The 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.