Environmental Supports and Unemployment Among White and Minority Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis: A Hierarchical Logistic Regression Model

Background Unemployment in individuals with MS has been associated with decreased quality of life, affecting both physical and mental health. Environmental supports, including workplace accommodations, social support or community support, access to healthcare or rehabilitation services, as well as overall work environment, are likely to impact the work experience of individuals with disabilities, including those with multiple sclerosis (MS). Objective This study seeks to investigate how environmental supports are associated with unemployment after controlling for demographic covariates and functional limitations among racial/ethnic minorities and White individuals with MS. Methods A three-step hierarchical logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association between environmental supports and unemployment after controlling for demographic covariates and functional limitations. Results The final model containing all predictor variables (i.e., demographic, functional limitations, environmental health support, environmental rehabilitation support, and environmental community support) explained 22% of the variance in unemployment. Conclusions These findings suggested the association between environmental supports and unemployment among racial/ethnic minorities and White individuals with MS after controlling for demographic and functional limitations variables. Findings highlighted the potential role of environmental supports in shaping employment outcomes for individuals with MS.