Health Indicator Report of Arthritis prevalence

Arthritis prevalence increases as people age and is significantly more common among women than men. For combined years 2021-2023, 6.1% of Utah adults aged 18-34 and 51.8% of adults 65 years and older reported having arthritis. Women 65 years and older were the most likely to have arthritis with more than 1 in 2 women having a diagnosis of arthritis (56.1%).

Notes

Doctor-diagnosed arthritis was self-reported and was not confirmed by a healthcare provider; however, such self-reports have been shown to be acceptable for surveillance purposes.

Data Source

Utah Department of Health and Human Services Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) [https://ibis.utah.gov/ibisph-view/query/selection/brfss/BRFSSSelection.html]

Data Interpretation Issues

Because age affects the likelihood of having arthritis, it is beneficial to adjust for the effect of age when comparing populations. This helps determine if certain populations have factors that contribute to arthritis prevalence other than the effect of age. Beginning in 2011, BRFSS data included both landline and cell phone respondent data along with a new weighting methodology called iterative proportional fitting, or raking. This methodology utilizes additional demographic information (such as education, race, and marital status) in the weighting procedure. Both of these methodology changes were implemented to account for an increased number of U.S. households without landline phones and an under-representation of certain demographic groups that were not well-represented in the sample. More details about these changes can be found at: [https://ibis.utah.gov/ibisph-view/pdf/opha/resource/brfss/RakingImpact2011.pdf].

Definition

Percentage of persons who have ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that they have some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia.

Numerator

Includes survey respondents ages 18 and older who reported being told by a doctor or other health professional that they had some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia. Excludes those with missing, don't know, and refused answers.

Denominator

Includes survey respondents ages 18 and older. Excludes those with missing, don't know, or refused answers.

How Are We Doing?

More than 1 in 5 Utah adults reported having arthritis over the past several years. As people age, the likelihood of having arthritis increases. For example, 6.1% of adults aged 18-34 reported having arthritis whereas 51.8% adults 65 years and older reported having arthritis (combined years 2021-2023). As the older adult population increases in the coming years, the prevalence of arthritis is also projected to increase. Women 65 years and older were the most likely to have arthritis with 56.1% reporting arthritis. This was significantly greater than the rate for men of the same age (46.8%). Women were more likely to have arthritis for all age groups. Other groups that were less likely to have arthritis included college graduates, Hispanics, and adults making more than $75,000 a year when compared to those with less education, non-Hispanics, and those making less than $75,000 a year, respectively. Arthritis prevalence also differed by geographic location. The age-adjusted prevalence of arthritis (combined years 2021-2023) in local health districts ranged from a low of 19.7% in Summit County to a high of 29.5% in Southeast Utah. Health districts with rates significantly lower than the state rate included Salt Lake County and Utah County. Health districts with rates significantly higher than the state rate included Davis County, Tooele County, Weber-Morgan, and Southeast.

How Do We Compare With the U.S.?

The age-adjusted prevalence of arthritis in Utah was 22.7% in 2023, which was the similar to the U.S. age-adjusted rate of 24.0%.

What Is Being Done?

The Healthy Aging Program focuses on measuring the occurrence of arthritis in Utah, increasing arthritis awareness and educational opportunities, and promoting participation in programs proven to help persons with arthritis, pain, and other chronic conditions. Additionally, the Healthy Aging Program supports health systems, clinics, and physicians using strategies and resources that support healthcare provider-patient counseling to increase physical activity and referrals to the evidence-based workshops and exercise classes [https://www.selfmanagementresource.com/programs proven] to help patients improve their mental and physical health.

Evidence-based Practices

The Healthy Aging Program partners with healthcare, nonprofit, and government organizations across Utah to deliver evidence-based workshops to help people better manage arthritis, pain, and other chronic conditions. Schedules and locations of these workshops can be found at [https://healthyaging.utah.gov/]. The Healthy Aging Program recommends and supports the *Chronic Disease Self-Management Education programs, EnhanceFitness, Walk With Ease, Stepping On, Tai Chi, and the Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program which have been proven to improve the quality of life for people with arthritis and other chronic conditions. *Chronic Disease Self-Management Education programs include:[[br]] - Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) as known as Living Well with Chronic Conditions[[br]] - Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP) also known as Living Well with Diabetes[[br]] - Chronic Pain Self-Management Program (CPSMP) also known as Living Well with Chronic Pain[[br]] - Tomando Control de su Salud (Spanish CDSMP)[[br]] - Programa de Manejo Personal del Dolor Crnico (Spanish CPSMP)[[br]] - Programa de Manejo Personal de la Diabetes (Spanish DSMP) [[br]] [[br]] For additional information on these programs visit [https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/programs/] or [https://healthyaging.utah.gov/].

Available Services

To find and register for an evidence-based program in your area please visit:[[br]] [https://healthyaging.utah.gov/find-workshop/#/][[br]] or call the Health Resource Line at:[[br]] 1-888-222-2542[[br]] Other resources for people with arthritis are available at: Utah Department of Health and Human Services[[br]] Healthy Aging Program[[br]] Office of Health Promotion and Prevention[[br]] [https://healthyaging.utah.gov/] Arthritis Foundation[[br]] 1355 Peachtree Street, Suite 600[[br]] Atlanta, Georgia 30309[[br]] 1(800) 283-7800[[br]] 888-391-9389 Information Evidence-Based Programs:[[br]] [https://www.selfmanagementresource.com/][[br]] [http://www.projectenhance.org/] Rheumatologists in Utah[[br]] [http://health.usnews.com/doctors/city-index/utah/rheumatologists]

Health Program Information

The vision of the Healthy Aging Program is to increase self-management skills and improve the quality of life for all Utahns affected by arthritis and other chronic conditions. The Healthy Aging Program provides technical assistance and coordination to increase awareness, expand reach, and achieve sustainability of evidence-based self-management programs for all Utahns affected by arthritis and other chronic conditions through statewide partnerships. Contact healthyaging@utah.gov for questions about providing, referring, or increasing physician counseling for patients into evidence-based programs. Visit [https://healthyaging.utah.gov/find-workshop/#/ the Find a Workshop Feature] to find a workshop for yourself or a loved one.