Background/Purpose: Arthritis, a leading cause of disability, affects 54.4 million US adults. By knowing the state and county level arthritis impact, state-level public health professionals can determine appropriate resource allocation, understand existing disparities, and target dissemination of evidence-based interventions that can reduce arthritis impact.

Methods: To summarize the arthritis burden at the state and county-level, we used data from the 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an annual, random-digit–dialed landline and cellphone survey that is representative of the noninstitutionalized adult population aged ≥18 years in the 50 states and territories. Arthritis was defined as a “yes” to “Has a doctor or other health professional ever told you that have some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia?” For each state, we calculated arthritis prevalence overall and among those with specific comorbidities; among adults with arthritis, we estimated the prevalence of arthritis-attributable activity limitation (AAAL), social participation restriction (SPR), severe joint pain (SJP), physical inactivity (PIA), leisure walking (LW), and arthritis management behaviors; the latter category on management was calculated for the 13 states that collected this information. Age-adjusted (standardized to the projected 2000 U.S. population) percentages were calculated for all prevalence estimates shown below.

Results: For the 50 states and DC in 2015, the median prevalence of arthritis was 23.0% (range: 17.2-33.6%). For arthritis-attributable impact measures among adults with arthritis, median (range) prevalence for AAAL was 49.7% (40.4-59.4%); SPR was 19.7% (12.6-30.4%); and SJP was 29.7% (20.3-46.0%). Median (range) prevalence of arthritis among adults with obesity, heart disease, and diabetes was 30.9% (24.6-41.2%), 44.5% (25.6-72.6%), and 37.3% (27.1-53.7%), respectively. Median (range) prevalence of PIA and LW among adults with arthritis was 35.0% (23.1-47.9%) and 48.0% (38.5-59.5%), respectively. For arthritis management, median (range) prevalence of being told to exercise for their arthritis and lose weight if overweight/obese to manage arthritis symptoms was 58.5% (52.3-61.9%) and 44.5% (35.1-53.2%), respectively; median prevalence of attending a self-management education (SME) course was 14.5% (range=9.1-19.0%). Arthritis prevalence varied considerably by county (range: 13.5%-34.8%).

Conclusion: Arthritis was common — particularly among those with comorbid conditions — and varied substantially at both the state and county level. Adults with arthritis have a high prevalence of characteristics that impact quality of life (e.g., AAAL, SPR, and SJP), and a large percentage are PIA and do not participate in LW. Participation in a SME course among adults with arthritis remains low; approximately half of health care providers recommended self-management behaviors. Greater use of evidence-based physical activity and SME interventions could reduce pain and improve function and quality of life for all adults with arthritis including those with comorbidities.

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/arthritis-impact-at-the-state-and-county-level-united-states-2015/