Income, employment, and clinical outcomes in Parkinson's disease.

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IntroductionSocioeconomic factors such as employment status and household income may influence clinical outcomes in Parkinson's disease, yet their associations with both motor and non-motor symptoms are not well characterized. This study examined whether employment status and income are associated with cognitive complaints, depressive symptoms, health-related quality of life, and motor severity among individuals with Parkinson's disease.MethodsData were obtained from FoxInsight, and online longitudinal cohort study. Participants aged 40 years and older with Parkinson's disease who completed self-report questionnaires were included (n = 29,826). Multilevel models examined associations between employment status and household income with cognitive complaints, depressive symptoms, health-related quality of life, and motor severity across up to three annual assessments.ResultsEmployment status was significantly associated with all outcomes. Compared with full-time employment, unemployment and retirement were associated with more cognitive complaints, greater depressive symptoms, poorer health-related quality of life, and greater motor severity (all p ConclusionEmployment status and household income are important social determinants of both motor and non-motor outcomes in Parkinson's disease. These findings highlight the potential clinical relevance of socioeconomic factors shaping disease experience and emphasize the need for interventions that address economic and occupational vulnerability.

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