Table 1.
Participant Characteristics
| Survey (N =101) | Interviews (n =15) | |
|---|---|---|
| Sex | ||
| Female | 79 (78.2%) | 9 (60.0%) |
| Male | 22 (21.4%) | 6 (40.0%) |
| Ethnicity | n = 100 | |
| White British | 97 (97.0%) | 14 (93.3%) |
| Black/African/Caribbean/Black British | 1 (1.0%) | 0 |
| Asian/Asian British | 2 (2.0%) | 1 (6.6%) |
| Living arrangements | ||
| Living alone | 15 (14.9%) | 3 (20.0%) |
| Living with partner | 46 (45.5%) | 4 (26.6%) |
| Living with family | 39 (38.6%) | 8 (53.3%) |
| Living with friends | 1 (1.0%) | 0 |
| Education | ||
| GCSE | 5 (4.9%) | 1 (6.6%) |
| Collegea | 13 (12.9%) | 4 (26.6%) |
| Degree | 34 (33.7%) | 4 (26.6%) |
| Postgraduate | 45 (44.5%) | 6 (40.0%) |
| Other | 4 (3.9%) | 0 |
| MS characteristics | n = 100 | |
| Relapsing-remitting MS | 86 (86.0%) | 10 (66.6%) |
| Secondary progressive MS | 8 (8.0%) | 4 (26.6%) |
| Primary progressive MS | 5 (5.0%) | 1 (6.6%) |
| Not known | 1 (1.0%) | 0 |
| EDSS | n = 44 | n = 10 |
| 0-3 | 21 (47.9%) | 3 (30.0%) |
| 3.5-6.0 | 16 (36.9%) | 2 (20.0%) |
| 6.5-9.0 | 7 (15.2%) | 5 (50.0%) |
| Employment characteristics (multiple choice) | ||
| Employed full time | 58 (57.4%) | 7 (46.6%) |
| Employed part time | 33 (32.6%) | 5 (33.3%) |
| Self-employed full time | 4 (3.9%) | 1 (6.6%) |
| Self-employed part time | 4 (3.9%) | 1 (6.6%) |
| Student | 3 (2.9%) | 1 (6.6%) |
| Working and job hunting | 2 (1.9%) | 0 |
| Medically retired | 1 (0.9%) | 0 |
| Doing volunteer work | 1 (0.9%) | 0 |
| Size of employer b | ||
| Large (>250 employees) | 62 (61.4%) | 6 (40.0%) |
| Medium (50-249) | 20 (19.8%) | 6 (40.0%) |
| Small (10-49) | 11 (10.9%) | 1 (6.6%) |
| Micro (>9) | 8 (7.9%) | 2 (13.3%) |
| Main job typec | n = 97 | n = 15 |
| Survey (N = 101) | Interviews (n = 15) | |
| Main job typec | n = 97 | n = 15 |
| Level 4 (professional and managerial) |
48 (49.5%) | 7 (46.6%) |
| Level 3 (associated professional and technical/skilled trade) |
27 (27.8%) | 5 (33.3%) |
| Level 2 (administrative, caring, leisure, sales, customer service, process, plant, and machinery operatives) |
19 (19.6%) | 1 (6.6%) |
| Level 1 (elementary occupation) |
3 (3.1%) | 2 (13.3%) |
| Disclosed MS diagnosis to employer | ||
| Yes | 89 (88.1%) | 14 (93.3%) |
| No | 7 (6.9%) | 0 |
| Not applicable | 5 (5.0%) | 1 (6.7%) |
EDSS, Expanded Disability Status Scale; GCSE, General Certificate of Secondary Education; MS, multiple sclerosis.
a
College refers to a 2-year program to prepare students for university entrance exams. Thus, degree refers to a bachelor’s degree.
b
Organization size obtained from UK government guidelines.
c
Office for National Statistics. SOC 2020. Updated January 19, 2023. https://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/classificationsandstandards/standardoccupationalclassificationsoc/soc2020