Impact of endometriosis on work productivity and activity impairment: a descriptive literature review

Mohammad Amin Bahrami, Kefayat Chamanara, Elham Bahrami
In: Bali Medical Journal · 2017 · vol. 6(2) , pp. 263 · doi:10.15562/bmj.v6i2.603 · W2738938463
article OA: diamond CC0 ⤵ 7 in-corpus citations
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-13 ⓘ

This literature review of five studies found that endometriosis and its symptoms negatively impact women's work productivity and daily activities, highlighting the condition's significant socioeconomic burden.

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⚙ AI-generated deep summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-13 · read from full text ⓘ

This paper is a descriptive literature review assessing evidence on how endometriosis affects women’s work productivity and activity impairment. Using searches of Medline/PubMed, ScienceDirect, Embase, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Persian databases up to January 10, 2017, the authors included peer-reviewed studies reporting impacts on work productivity, including four studies using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) survey and one using work records; across included studies, endometriosis and related symptoms were reported to negatively affect work productivity and daily activity. The review’s main limitation is that it identified only five eligible studies, with the selection restricted to studies using a work productivity/activity impairment survey or work record data. This paper is centrally about endometriosis — it synthesizes literature on its impact on work productivity and activity impairment.

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Abstract

Introduction: Endometriosis is a common chronic condition which affects different aspects of patients’ life. This study was aimed to review the current literature about the impact of endometriosis on the work productivity of suffering patients. Methods: We conducted a descriptive review of the literature on endometriosis impact on work productivity of suffering women. An electronic search was performed in Medline/ PubMed, Science direct, Embase, Scopus, Google scholar, Magiran, and SID (Scientific Information Database) up to January 10, 2017, using the text search terms “productivity,” “work productivity,” “job,” “job loss,” “job productivity,” “absenteeism,” “presenteeism,” “under working,” and “activity impairment” in combination with “endometriosis” and their Persian equivalents. The bibliographies of the articles located were searched manually. Peer-reviewed articles that have reported impacts of endometriosis on work productivity and activity impairment were assessed for eligibility. All studies that had reported the impacts of endometriosis on work productivity aspects were included in the review. Only those studies that used a work productivity and activity impairment survey were included in the study. Results: A total of 2903 studies were retrieved in the initial search. After eligibility assessment, five studies were included in the study. From those, four studies have used work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI) survey, and one has evaluated the work records of patients. All of these studies have reported the negative effect of endometriosis and its related symptoms on work productivity and daily activity of women suffering from the disease. Conclusion: The negative effects of endometriosis on the work productivity confirm its high socioeconomic burden for patients, their family, and the society at large. More investment in research to achieve the diagnosis protocols and treatment interventions is needed.
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Introduction

Endometriosis is a common chronic condition which affects different aspects of patients’ life. This study was aimed to review the current literature about the impact of endometriosis on the work productivity of suffering patients.Â

Methods

We conducted a descriptive review of the literature on endometriosis impact on work productivity of suffering women. An electronic search was performed in Medline/ PubMed, Science direct, Embase, Scopus, Google scholar, Magiran, and SID (Scientific Information Database) up to January 10, 2017, using the text search terms “productivity,†“work productivity,†“job,†“job loss,†“job productivity,†“absenteeism,†“presenteeism,†“under working,†and “activity impairment†in combination with “endometriosis†and their Persian equivalents. The bibliographies of the articles located were searched manually. Peer-reviewed articles that have reported impacts of endometriosis on work productivity and activity impairment were assessed for eligibility. All studies that had reported the impacts of endometriosis on work productivity aspects were included in the review. Only those studies that used a work productivity and activity impairment survey were included in the study.

Results

A total of 2903 studies were retrieved in the initial search. After eligibility assessment, five studies were included in the study. From those, four studies have used work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI) survey, and one has evaluated the work records of patients. All of these studies have reported the negative effect of endometriosis and its related symptoms on work productivity and daily activity of women suffering from the disease.

Conclusion

The negative effects of endometriosis on the work productivity confirm its high socioeconomic burden for patients, their family, and the society at large. More investment in research to achieve the diagnosis protocols and treatment interventions is needed. - Alborzi S. Quality of life in patients with endometriosis (female infertility). International journal of fertility and sterility 2013; 7(1): 16-16. - Nojomi M, Bijari B, Mostafavian Z, Kashanian M. Quality of life in patients with endometriosis in Tehran in 2009. Razi Journal of Medical Sciences 2011; 18(90): 37-43. - Jones G, Kennedy S, Barnard A, Wong J, Jenkinson C. Development of an Endometriosis Quality-of-Life Instrument: The Endometriosis Health Profile-30. Obstetrics & Gynecology 2001; 98(2): 258-264. - Ghorbani B, Yaghmaei F. Evaluation of quality of life in women suffering from endometriosis. Fertility and inferftility2009; 10(2): 129-135. - Giuliani M, Cosmia V, Pierleonia L, Recinea A, Pieronia M, Ticino A, Porporab MG, et al. Quality of life and sexual satisfaction in women suffering from endometriosis: An Italian preliminary study. Sexologies 2016; 25: e12-e19. - Facchin F, Barbara G, Saita E, Mosconi P, Roberto A, Fedele L, et al. Impact of endometriosis on quality of life and mental health: pelvic pain makes the difference. J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol. 2015; 36(4): 135-141. - Graaff AA, D’Hooghe TM, Dunselman GAG, Dirksen CD, Hummelshoj L, Simoens S, et al. The significant effect of endometriosis on physical, mental and social-wellbeing: results from an international cross-sectional survey. Hum. Reprod. 2013; 28(10): 2677-2685. - Cavaggioni G, Lia C, Resta S, Antonielli T, Panici PB, Megiorni F, Porpora MG. Are Mood and Anxiety Disorders and Alexithymia Associated with Endometriosis? A Preliminary Study. BioMed Research International 2014; 1-6. - NnoahamKE, Hummelshoj L, Webster P, d’Hooghe T, Nardone F, Nardone CC, Jenkinson C, Phil D, et al. Impact of endometriosis on quality of life and work productivity: a multicenter study across ten countries. Fertil Steril. 2011; 96(2): 366–373. - Donato ND, Montanari G, Benfenati A, Leonardi D, Bertoldo V, Monti G, Casadio P, et al. The impact of socioeconomic and anamnestic characteristics on quality of life and sexual function in women with endometriosis. Journal of Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Disorders 2013; 1-8. - Carvalho ACF, Poli-Neto OB, Crippa JAS, Hallak JEC, Osório FL. Associations between chronic pelvic pain and psychiatric disorders and symptoms. Arch Clin Psychiatry. 2015; 42(1): 25-30. - Kuile MT, Weijenborg PTM, Spinhoven P. Sexual Functioning in Women with Chronic Pelvic Pain: The Role of Anxiety and Depressionjsm. J Sex Med 2009; 1-11. - Culley L, Law C, Hudson N, Denny E, Mitchell H, Baumgarten M, et al. The social and psychological impact of endometriosis on women’s lives: a critical narrative review. Human Reproduction Update 2013; 19(6): 625-639. - Quiñones M, Urrutia R, Torres-Reverón A, Vincent K, Flores I. Anxiety, coping skills and hypothalamus-pituitaryadrenal (HPA) axis in patients with endometriosis. Journal of Reproductive Biology and Health 2015; 3(2): 1-8. - Vitalea SG, Rosab VLL, Rapisardac AMC, Lagan AS. Impact of endometriosis on quality of life and psychological well-being. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology 2016; 1-4. - Donatella C, Giulia B, Eleonora R, Eleonora M, Flaviano M. Impact of Endometriosis on Work Productivity and Quality of Life: a Survey from Italy. International Journal of Management Sciences and Business Research 2013; 2(4): 42-48. - Chaman-Ara K, Bahrami MA, Bahrami E. Endometriosis psychological aspects: a literature review. Journal of Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Disorders 2017 (Accepted article). DOI: 10.5301/jeppd.5000276. - Chaman-Ara K, Bahrami MA, Moosazadeh M, Bahrami E. Quality of Life in Women with Endometriosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. World Cancer Research Journal (Accepted article). - Fourquet J, Báez L, Figueroa M, Iriarte RI, Flores I. Quantification of the Impact of Endometriosis Symptoms on Health Related Quality of Life and Work Productivity. Fertil Steril. 2011; 96(1): 107–112. - Fourquet J, Gao X, Zavala D, Orengo JC, Abac S, Ruiz A, Laboy J, Flores I. Patients’ report on how endometriosis affects health, work, and daily life. Fertil Steril. 2010; 93(7): 2424–2428. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.09.017. - Boling RO, Abbasi R, Ackerman G, Schipul AH Jr, Chaney SA. Disability from endometriosis in the United States Army. J Reprod Med. 1988; 33(1): 49-52. - Friedl F, Riedl D, Fessler S, Wildt L, Walter M, Richter R, Schüßler G, et al. Impact of endometriosis on quality of life, anxiety, and depression: an Austrian perspective. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2015 Dec; 292(6): 1393-9. - Nogueira-Silva C, Costa P, Martins C, Barata S, Alho C, Jorge CC, Osorio F. Validation of the Portuguese Version of EHP-30 (The Endometriosis Health Profile-30). Acta Med Port 2015 May-Jun; 28(3): 347-356. - Moradi M, Parker M, Sneddon A, Lopez V, Ellwood D. Impact of endometriosis on women’s lives: a qualitative study . BMC Women's Health 2014; 14: 1-12. - Jia ShZ, Leng JH, Shi JH, Sun P, Lang JH. Health-related quality of life in women with endometriosis: a systematic review. Journal of Ovarian Research 2012; 5(29): 1-9. - Nnoaham KE, Hummelshoj L, Webster P, d’Hooghe T, Nardone FC, Nardone CC, Jenkinson C, et al. Impact of endometriosis on quality of life and work productivity: a multicenter study across ten countries. Fertility and Sterility 2011; 96(2): 366-381. - Burgt TJM, Hendriks JCM, Kluivers KB. Quality of life in endometriosis: evaluation of the Dutch-version Endometriosis Health Profile–30 (EHP-30). Fertility and Sterility 2011; 95(5): 1863-1865. - Mendes N, Figueiredo B. Psychological approach to endometriosis: Women’s pain experience and quality of life improvement. Psicologia, Saúde & Doenças 2012; 13(1): 36-48. - Kuruvilla A, Jacob KS. Poverty, social stress & mental health. Indian J Med Res 2007; 126: 273-278. - McGrath PJ, Elgar FJ. Effects of Socio-Economic Status on Behavioral Problems. International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences 2015; 2: 477-482. - Lorençatto C, Petta CA, Navarro MJ, Bahamondes L, Matos A. Depression in women with endometriosis with and without chronic pelvic pain. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2006; 85(1): 88-92. Bahrami, M. A., Chaman-Ara, K., & Bahrami, E. (2017). Impact of endometriosis on work productivity and activity impairment: a descriptive literature review. Bali Medical Journal, 6(2), 263–267. https://doi.org/10.15562/bmj.v6i2.603 Mohammad Amin Bahrami Google Scholar Pubmed BMJ Journal Kefayat Chaman-Ara Google Scholar Pubmed BMJ Journal Elham Bahrami Google Scholar Pubmed BMJ Journal - Bali Medical Journal, Bali-Indonesia - +62 812-3999-2269 - +62 812-3999-2269 - [email protected] Copyright © DiscoverSys Inc

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