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Burden of Chronic Disease

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The Burden of Chronic Diseases and Their Risk Factors: National and State Perspectives 2002

Section V
The Burden of Arthritis, United States

  




The Burden of Arthritis as a Cause of Disability

Arthritis, the leading cause of disability in the United States, encompasses more than 100 diseases that affect the joints, the tissues surrounding the joints, and other connective tissue. The pain and disability that accompany arthritis can be lessened through early diagnosis and appropriate management, including weight control, physical activity, and self-management programs that increase people’s ability to manage their condition.

  • Arthritis and other rheumatic conditions affect nearly 43 million Americans, or about one of every six people, making it one of the most common health conditions in the United States. 
  • Arthritis is the most common cause of disability in the United States. Over 7 million Americans are limited in some activity because of arthritis. 
  • Arthritis and its related disability are increasing. In 2020, an estimated 60 million Americans, or almost 20% of the population, will be affected by arthritis, and nearly 12 million will experience activity limitations. 
  • Every year, arthritis results in 44 million physician visits and 750,000 hospitalizations. The estimated total cost associated with arthritis (including medical care and lost productivity) exceeds $65 billion annually.

Percentage of Adults Who Reported Arthritis,* 2000

Percentage of Adults Who Reported Arthritis, 2000. Data in tabular format follows.

*Defined as reporting chronic joint symptoms or doctor-diagnosed arthritis
Source: CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

  


 

Number and Percentage of Adults Who Reported Arthritis, by Age Group, 2000

  Total 18–24 years 45–64 years 65 years and older
State Number* Percent Number* Percent Number* Percent Number* Percent
Alabama 1,169 35.7 303 18.0 467 47.5 393 67.2
Alaska 134 30.8 61 23.1 50 38.1 22 60.8
Arizona 980 27.5 304 16.3 329 32.2 336 52.5
Arkansas†                
California 6,961 28.3 2,252 16.5 2,700 37.4 2,008 54.3
Colorado 1,061 34.8 411 24.6 403 43.7 240 53.5
Connecticut 811 32.2 229 18.1 308 40.8 263 57.7
Delaware†                
District of Columbia†                
Florida 3,600 30.4 724 13.1 1,342 38.0 1,522 55.1
Georgia 1,888 32.4 670 20.8 714 41.0 500 59.5
Hawaii 204 22.7 58 12.3 85 31.1 60 39.7
Idaho 321 36.0 99 21.8 122 44.3 97 62.7
Illinois‡                
Indiana 1,570 35.4 487 21.3 631 46.2 445 59.4
Iowa 700 32.7 186 17.7 271 42.8 242 54.6
Kansas 634 32.3 180 17.7 234 41.3 219 59.1
Kentucky 1,175 39.4 391 25.5 456 49.9 328 62.0
Louisiana‡                
Maine†                 
Maryland 1,219 31.1 393 18.9 497 40.7 324 55.2
Massachusetts‡                
Michigan‡                
Minnesota 1,041 29.5 328 17.7 365 34.2 348 57.6
Mississippi 694 34.7 238 22.2 262 45.9 191 54.6
Missouri†                
Montana†                
Nebraska 379 30.9 103 16.5 151 43.6 124 52.3
Nevada†                
New Hampshire 255 27.9 87 17.9 94 34.2 72 49.4
New Jersey 1,765 28.2 484 15.5 664 34.6 603 52.7
New Mexico 367 29.5 111 16.5 144 39.3 111 55.2
New York 4,409 31.8 1,211 17.1 1,755 42.3 1,412 57.0
North Carolina 2,037 34.6 609 19.7 778 43.9 640 64.1
North Dakota 146 31.5 40 16.8 55 43.2 49 54.3
Ohio 3,044 36.2 949 22.2 1,163 45.9 919 59.8
Oklahoma 782 31.3 231 18.2 274 36.4 275 58.6
Oregon 872 34.9 257 20.5 348 44.6 261 57.4
Pennsylvania†                
Rhode Island 248 32.5 72 18.5 88 40.7 86 57.4
South Carolina 911 31.4 267 17.3 368 42.4 274 57.6
South Dakota†                
Tennessee 1,486 35.6 484 22.6 587 45.6 412 56.1
Texas†                
Utah 435 31.1 138 17.3 184 45.9 111 57.4
Vermont 151 33.8 51 21.8 56 41.4 43 58.7
Virginia 1,640 31.2 551 19.5 643 40.6 439 54.7
Washington†                
West Virginia†                
Wisconsin 1,323 33.9 368 18.4 506 43.3 444 61.9
Wyoming 114 33.2 33 18.3 47 43.7 34 62.0
35 states combined   31.0   18.2   40.8   56.8

*Number in 1,000’s. 
† Data are unavailable. 
‡ Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Michigan used methods to collect data on this topic that differed from those used in other states. Because their methods are not exactly comparable, data for these states were not included. 
Source: CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

  


 

Number and Percentage of Adults Who Reported Arthritis, by Sex, Race, and Ethnicity, 2000

  Women Men White Black Hispanic
State Number† Percent Number† Percent Number† Percent Number† Percent Number† Percent
Alabama 679 39.3 490 31.7 938 38.6 184 27.3 – –
Alaska 67 32.3 67 29.5 102 31.6 – – 6 29.9
Arizona 586 32.1 394 22.7 759 30.3 – – 158 21.0
Arkansas‡                      
California 3,892 31.4 3,069 25.1 4,502 34.5 448 28.5 1,519 19.8
Colorado 543 34.9 518 34.6 880 36.5 30 36.1 116 25.7
Connecticut 489 37.2 322 26.8 680 34.2 46 30.6 56 21.9
Delaware‡                    
District of Columbia‡                    
Florida 2,034 32.9 1,566 27.7 2,781 33.6 280 24.0 472 22.9
Georgia 1,055 34.8 833 29.8 1,369 34.6 410 27.1 66 33.2
Hawaii 112 25.3 92 20.2 71 27.3 2 15.6 20 18.2
Idaho 179 39.4 142 32.4 297 36.6 – – 11 25.7
Illinois§                    
Indiana 881 38.1 689 32.5 1,426 36.3 96 35.1 29 23.3
Iowa 401 35.8 300 29.3 675 33.1 – – 11 25.2
Kansas 355 35.1 278 29.3 585 33.9 25 35.8 13 11.1
Kentucky 643 41.3 531 37.4 1,090 39.7 62 34.4 – –
Louisiana§                    
Maine‡                    
Maryland 685 33.5 534 28.5 855 33.8 279 28.3 44 23.9
Massachusetts§                    
Michigan§                    
Minnesota 616 33.9 425 24.9 990 30.2 13 18.0 9 13.7
Mississippi 415 39.2 280 29.7 460 35.3 201 33.9 9 16.6
Missouri‡                    
Montana‡                    
Nebraska 210 33.0 169 28.7 353 31.8 7 30.4 14 21.8
Nevada‡                    
New Hampshire 146 31.1 108 24.5 242 27.9 – – – –
New Jersey 1,088 33.2 678 22.7 1,356 31.5 154 29.3 204 19.4
New Mexico 219 34.2 148 24.5 207 34.1 – – 136 26.1
New York 2,733 37.3 1,676 25.6 3,199 35.4 502 28.4 531 26.0
North Carolina 1,163 37.8 875 31.1 1,613 36.4 336 30.1 44 29.7
North Dakota 82 35.2 63 27.7 138 31.8 – – – –
Ohio 1,844 41.7 1,200 30.1 2,757 37.3 174 26.2 53 31.9
Oklahoma 452 34.7 330 27.6 669 32.7 33 21.3 18 15.1
Oregon 493 38.3 379 31.2 791 37.5 – – 41 16.2
Pennsylvania‡                    
Rhode Island 143 35.6 105 29.1 218 34.8 7 22.8 16 20.6
South Carolina 550 36.2 362 26.1 678 33.4 186 26.7 32 33.5
South Dakota‡                    
Tennessee 890 40.5 597 30.1 1,254 36.4 194 33.1 21 24.6
Texas‡                    
Utah 249 34.7 186 27.3 401 31.6 – – 20 25.3
Vermont 86 37.3 65 30.0 145 34.1 – – 2 28.9
Virginia 918 33.9 722 28.4 1,292 33.3 228 28.0 48 19.6
Washington‡                    
West Virginia‡                    
Wisconsin 776 38.5 547 29.1 1,177 33.8 48 33.3 25 30.8
Wyoming 65 37.7 48 28.6 105 33.8 – – 5 28.1
35 states combined   35.4   27.8   34.6   28.4   21.8

*Dashes indicate too few numbers (fewer than 50) to calculate a reliable estimate. 
† Number in 1,000’s. 
‡ Data are unavailable. 
§ Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Michigan used methods to collect data on this topic that differed from those used in other states. Because their methods are not exactly comparable, data for these states were not included. 
Source: CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

 

  



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This page last reviewed August 10, 2004

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