Arthritis

All adults.

Adults who answered yes to the question: “Have you ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that you have some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia?”.

All adults.

Prevalence (crude and age-adjusted).

Lifetime.

An estimated 58.5 million US adults aged ≥18 years have arthritis, 25.7 million of whom report an arthritis-attributable activity limitation.¹ Projections suggest that by 2040, an estimated 78 million adults will have arthritis^.2 Arthritis has a profound economic, personal, and societal impact in the United States. In 2013, the total national arthritis-attributable medical care costs and earnings losses among adults with arthritis were $303.5 billion.³ Monitoring the burden of arthritis is important for estimating the state-specific need for interventions that reduce symptoms, improve physical function, and improve the quality of life for people with arthritis.

Doctor-diagnosed arthritis is self-reported and is not confirmed by a health care provider or objective monitoring.

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

None.

None.

Theis KA, Murphy LB, Guglielmo D, et al. Prevalence of arthritis and arthritis-attributable activity limitation — United States, 2016–2018. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021;70(40):1401–1407. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7040a2

Hootman JM, Helmick CG, Barbour KE, Theis KA, Boring MA. Updated projected prevalence of self-reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis and arthritis-attributable activity limitation among US adults, 2015–2040. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2016;68(7):1582–1587. doi:10.1002/art.39692

Murphy LB, Cisternas MG, Pasta DJ, Helmick CG, Yelin EH. Medical expenditures and earnings losses among US adults with arthritis in 2013. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2018;70(6):869–876. doi: 10.1002/acr.23425

Adults who have arthritis.

Adults who report having doctor-diagnosed arthritis and answered yes to the question: “Are you now limited in any way in any of your usual activities because of arthritis or joint symptoms?”.

Adults who answered yes to the question: “Have you ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that you have some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia?”.

Prevalence (crude and age-adjusted).

Current.

An estimated 58.5 million US adults aged ≥18 years have arthritis, 25.7 million of whom report an arthritis-attributable activity limitation.¹ Projections suggest that by 2040, an estimated 34.6 million adults with arthritis will report arthritis-attributable activity limitations.² Monitoring the prevalence of arthritis-attributable activity limitations among adults with doctor-diagnosed arthritis is important for estimating the state-specific impact of arthritis, the need for interventions and targeting interventions to reduce the disabling effects of arthritis, and potentially capturing how well existing interventions are working.

Doctor-diagnosed arthritis is self-reported and not confirmed by a health care provider or objective monitoring. This indicator comes from a BRFSS Optional Module, assessed in odd years, so data are missing for some states.

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

Healthy People 2030 objective: A-02. Reduce the proportion of adults with arthritis whose arthritis limits their activities.

None.

Theis KA, Murphy LB, Guglielmo D, et al. Prevalence of arthritis and arthritis-attributable activity limitation —United States, 2016–2018. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021;70(40):1401–1407. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7040a2

Hootman JM, Helmick CG, Barbour KE, Theis KA, Boring MA. Updated projected prevalence of self-reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis and arthritis-attributable activity limitation among US adults, 2015–2040. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2016;68(7):1582–1587. doi:10.1002/art.39692

Adults who have arthritis.

Adults who report having doctor-diagnosed arthritis who answered 7, 8, 9, or 10 to the question: “Please think about the past 30 days, keeping in mind all of your joint pain or aching and whether or not you have taken medication. On a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 is no pain or aching and 10 is pain or aching as bad as it can be, during the past 30 day, how bad was your joint pain on average? Severe joint pain was defined as a pain level ranging between 7 and 10.

Adults who answered yes to the question: “Have you ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that you have some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia?”.

Prevalence (crude and age-adjusted).

Past 30 days.

An estimated 15 million adults with arthritis reported severe joint pain related to arthritis in 2014.¹  From 2015 to 2019 the state median severe joint pain prevalence reported by adults with arthritis increased slightly, from 29.7% to 32.8%.² Monitoring the prevalence of severe joint pain among adults with arthritis is important for estimating the state-specific impact of arthritis, the need for interventions and targeting inventions to reduce the disabling effects of arthritis, and potentially capturing how well existing interventions are working.

Arthritis is self-reported and not confirmed by a health care provider or objective monitoring. This indicator moved from the BRFSS Rotating Core Module to an Optional Module in 2023, so data are missing for some states.

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

Healthy People 2030 objective: A-01. Reduce the proportion of adults with arthritis who have moderate or severe joint pain.

None.

Barbour KE, Boring M, Helmick CG, Murphy LB, Qin J. Prevalence of severe joint pain among adults with doctor-diagnosed arthritis — United States, 2002–2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;65(39):1052–1056. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6539a2

Duca LM, Helmick CG, Barbour KE, et al. State-specific prevalence of inactivity, self-rated health status, and severe joint pain among adults with arthritis — United States, 2019. Prev Chronic Dis. 2022;19:E23. doi:10.5888/pcd19.210346

Adults aged 18–64 who have arthritis.

Adults aged 18–64 who report doctor-diagnosed arthritis and answered yes to the question: “Do arthritis or joint symptoms now affect whether you work, the type of work you do or the amount of work you do?”.

Adults age 18–64 who answered yes to the question: “Have you ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that you have some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia?”.

Prevalence (crude and age-adjusted).

Current.

Arthritis and other rheumatic conditions are a leading cause of work disability among US adults. An estimated 20.1 million working-age adults aged 18 to 64 years reported work disability in 2011–2013.¹ Back or spine problems and arthritis/rheumatism were consistently among the top conditions reported to cause work disability.^1,2 Monitoring the prevalence of arthritis-attributable work limitation among adults with arthritis is important for estimating the state-specific impact of arthritis, the need for interventions and targeting interventions to reduce the disabling effects of arthritis, and potentially capturing how well existing interventions are working.

Arthritis is self-reported and not confirmed by a health care provider or objective monitoring. This indicator comes from a BRFSS Optional Module, assessed in odd years, so data are missing for some states.

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

Healthy People 2030 objective: A-03. Reduce the proportion of adults with arthritis whose arthritis limits their work.

None.

Theis KA, Roblin DW, Helmick CG, Luo R. Prevalence and causes of work disability among working-age U.S. adults, 2011-2013, NHIS. Disabil Health J. 2018;11(1):108–115. doi:10.1016/j.dhjo.2017.04.010

Theis KA, Steinweg A, Helmick CG, Courtney-Long E, Bolen JA, Lee R. Which one? what kind? how many? types, causes, and prevalence of disability among U.S. adults. Disabil Health J. 2019;12(3):411–421. doi:10.1016/j.dhjo.2019.03.001

Adults who have arthritis.

Adults who report doctor-diagnosed arthritis and answer no to the question: “During the past month, other than your regular job, did you participate in any physical activities or exercises such as running, calisthenics, golf, gardening, or walking for exercise?”.

Adults who answered yes to the question: “Have you ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that you have some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia?”.

Prevalence (crude and age-adjusted).

Past month.

There are numerous health benefits associated with physical activity. Adults with arthritis who are more physically active have less pain, better physical function, and better quality of life relative to less active adults with arthritis.¹ Despite these benefits, many adults with arthritis are generally less active than adults without arthritis.² In 2019, the state median prevalence of adults with arthritis who reported physical inactivity was 29.6%.³ The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults—including those with arthritis—do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week.⁴

Doctor-diagnosed arthritis is self-reported and is not confirmed by a health-care provider or objective monitoring.

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

Healthy People 2030 objective: A-04. Increase the proportion of adults with arthritis who get counseling for physical activity.

None.

2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report. US Dept of Health and Human Services; 2018. Accessed April 25, 2023. https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/PAG_Advisory_Committee_Report.pdf

Murphy LB, Hootman JM, Boring MA, et al. Leisure time physical activity among U.S. adults with arthritis, 2008-2015. Am J Prev Med. 2017;53(3):345–354. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2017.03.017

Duca LM, Helmick CG, Barbour KE, et al. State-specific prevalence of inactivity, self-rated health status, and severe joint pain among adults with arthritis — United States, 2019. Prev Chronic Dis. 2022; 19:210346. doi: 10.5888/pcd19.210346

Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition. US Department of Health and Human Services; 2018. Accessed April 25, 2023. https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf

Adults who have doctor-diagnosed arthritis.

Adults who report having doctor-diagnosed arthritis and answered yes to the question: “Has a doctor or other health professional ever suggested physical activity or exercise to help your arthritis or joint symptoms?”.

Adults who answered yes to the question: “Have you ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that you have some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia?”.

Prevalence (crude and age-adjusted).

Lifetime.

Regular physical activity is an effective, low-cost, drug-free strategy for managing arthritis that can alleviate pain, improve physical functioning, and prevent or delay arthritis-related disability.^1–3 Evidence suggests that adults are more likely to attend an education program and engage in physical activity when recommended by a health care provider.⁴ Physician–patient encounters can be used as opportunities to counsel about the benefits of physical activity, including walking, and refer adults with arthritis to arthritis-appropriate evidence-based interventions for physical activity and self-management education.⁵

Doctor-diagnosed arthritis is self-reported and not confirmed by a health care provider or objective monitoring. This indicator moved from the BRFSS Rotating Core to an Optional Module in 2023, assessed in odd years, so data are missing for some states.

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

Healthy People 2030 objective A-04: Increase the proportion of adults with arthritis who get counseling for physical activity.

None.

Kelley GA, Kelley KS, Hootman JM, Jones DL. Effects of community-deliverable exercise on pain and physical function in adults with arthritis and other rheumatic diseases: a meta-analysis. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2011;63(1):79–93. doi:10.1002/acr.20347

Feinglass J, Thompson JA, He XZ, Witt W, Chang RW, Baker DW. Effect of physical activity on functional status among older middle-age adults with arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;53(6):879–885. doi:10.1002/art.21579

Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition. US Department of Health and Human Services; 2018. https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf

Murphy LB, Theis KA, Brady TJ, Sacks JJ. Supporting self-management education for arthritis: evidence from the Arthritis Conditions and Health Effects Survey on the influential role of health care providers. Chronic Illn. 2021;17(3):217–231. doi:10.1177/1742395319869431

Duca LM, Helmick CG, Barbour KE, et al. Self-management education class attendance and health care provider counseling for physical activity among adults with arthritis — United States, 2019. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021;70(42):1466–1471. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7042a2

Adults who have arthritis.

Adults who report doctor-diagnosed arthritis and answered yes to the question: “Have you ever taken an educational course or class to teach you how to manage problems related to your arthritis or joint symptoms?”.

Adults who answered yes to the question: “Have you ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that you have some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia?”.

Prevalence (crude and age-adjusted).

Lifetime.

Self-management education refers to programs that help people who have ongoing, chronic health conditions learn how to live life to the fullest. It is an interactive educational process that focuses on building skills such as goal setting, decision making, problem solving, and self-monitoring and is different from didactic arthritis education and information dissemination.¹ Self-management education interventions have been shown to improve confidence and skills to manage pain by 10% to 20%.² Self-management education can help improve physical function and quality of life among adults with arthritis.³ In 2019, among adults with arthritis, the state median age-standardized prevalence of reported self-management class attendance was 16.2%.³ The CDC Arthritis Program recognizes evidence-based programs that are proven to improve the quality of life of people with arthritis, including self-management education classes and courses.

Doctor-diagnosed arthritis is self-reported and is not confirmed by a health care provider or objective monitoring. This indicator moved from the BRFSS Rotating Core Module to an Optional Module in 2023, assessed in odd years, so data are missing for some states.

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

None.

None.

Brady TJ, Jernick SL, Hootman JM, Sniezek JE. Public health interventions for arthritis: expanding the toolbox of evidence-based interventions. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2009;18(12):1905–1917. doi:10.1089/jwh.2009.1571

Reid MC, Papaleontiou M, Ong A, Breckman R, Wethington E, Pillemer K. Self-management strategies to reduce pain and improve function among older adults in community settings: a review of the evidence. Pain Med. 2008;9(4):409–424. doi:10.1111/j.1526-4637.2008.00428.x

Duca LM, Helmick CG, Barbour KE, et al. Self-management education class attendance and health care provider counseling for physical activity among adults with arthritis — United States, 2019. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021;70(42):1466–1471. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7042a2