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Biographical disruption associated with multiple sclerosis: Using propensity scoring to assess the impact

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  • Green, Gill
  • Todd, Jennifer
  • Pevalin, David

Abstract

Chronic illness such as multiple sclerosis (MS) is often associated with 'biographical disruption', a concept that is derived from qualitative narrative analyses examining how people make sense of their illness in the context of their lives [Bury, M. (1982). Chronic illness as biographical disruption. Sociology of Health and Illness, 4, 167-182]. This paper attempts to operationalise the idea of disruption to one's life trajectory in quantitative analysis by examining the social, economic and emotional disruption associated with MS. A number of studies have suggested that it impacts negatively on employment, income and sexual relationships; however previous research has been based upon samples of people with MS (pwMS), with a dearth of studies comparing pwMS with the general population. This study reports a systematic comparison of MS and non-MS households to enable the impact of MS to be quantified in terms of household composition and marital status; household income; economic activity; and to determine whether biographical disruptions such as relationship breakdown or unemployment are more or less prevalent among those affected by MS compared to the general population. The MS sample came from randomly selected members of the UK MS Society (n=783) and those accessing the MS Society website (n=133). Data for the general population came from the 2001/02 British General Household Survey (GHS). Cases from the MS Society sample were matched using propensity scoring with cases from the GHS. The results of the matched analysis show that both men and women with MS are significantly less likely to be employed than those in the general population and are significantly more likely to have a 'below average' household income, despite the fact that they are in a higher social class and have higher educational levels than people in the general population. Differences between the MS and GHS samples in terms of marital status become non-significant when socio-demographic variables are controlled for using propensity scoring. This study provides robust evidence on how MS impacts on and disrupts the life of the person with MS and their household in terms of income and employment.

Suggested Citation

  • Green, Gill & Todd, Jennifer & Pevalin, David, 2007. "Biographical disruption associated with multiple sclerosis: Using propensity scoring to assess the impact," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(3), pages 524-535, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:65:y:2007:i:3:p:524-535
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kobelt, Gisela & Lindgren, Peter & Parkin, David & Francis, David A. & Johnson, Michael & Bates, David & Jönsson, Bengt, 2000. "Costs and Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis. A Cross-Sectional Observational Study in the UK," SSE/EFI Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance 398, Stockholm School of Economics.
    2. Rajeev H. Dehejia & Sadek Wahba, 2002. "Propensity Score-Matching Methods For Nonexperimental Causal Studies," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 84(1), pages 151-161, February.
    3. Dyck, Isabel, 1995. "Hidden geographies: The changing lifeworlds of women with multiple sclerosis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 40(3), pages 307-320, February.
    4. Kobelt, Gisela & Lindgren, Peter & Smala, Antje & Jönsson, Bengt, 2000. "Costs and Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis. A Cross-Sectional Observational Study in Germany," SSE/EFI Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance 399, Stockholm School of Economics.
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    1. B. Svendsen & N. Grytten & L. Bø & H. Aarseth & T. Smedal & K-M. Myhr, 2018. "The economic impact of multiple sclerosis to the patients and their families in Norway," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 19(9), pages 1243-1257, December.
    2. Nelsensius Klau Fauk & Lillian Mwanri & Hailay Abrha Gesesew & Paul Russell Ward, 2023. "Biographical Reinvention: An Asset-Based Approach to Understanding the World of Men Living with HIV in Indonesia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(16), pages 1-16, August.
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    4. Campbell, Chadwick K., 2021. "Structural and intersectional biographical disruption: The case of HIV disclosure among a sample of black gay and bisexual men," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).

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