The prevalence of arthritis and activity limitation and their predictors in Missouri

Factors Associated with Self-Reported 14 or More Activity Limitation Days among Adults in the United States

Objective

It is estimated that 41 million American adults 18 and older experience poor physical or mental health which limits their ability to engage in their daily activities. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of and factors associated with ≥14activity limitation days (ALD) due to poor physical or mental health as self-reported by persons aged 18 years and over in the United States (U.S).

Methods

Using the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System (BRFSS), persons over the age of 18 in the U.S. were examined to assess the prevalence of and factors associated with ≥ 14ALD due to poor physical or mental health. The BRFSS is administered on a continuous basis by telephone using random-digit dial sampling methods. A clustering sample design was used to account for differences in the probability of selection and non-response in order to accurately derive US and state-based population estimates. The design consists of a probability sample of all households with telephones in the state. Analyses were conducted using SAS 9.2.

Results

Of the 104,257 participants included in the analyses, 40% reported having ≥14 ALD due to poor physical or mental health. After adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic factors, males (AOR1.17, 95% CI: 1.14-1.21), those with high school or less education (AOR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.37-1.21), those who were separated (AOR: 1.23; 95% CI=1.14-1.32), divorced (AOR: 1.10; 95% CI=1.06-1.15), those from the Southern Black Belt States (AOR1.14, 95% CI: 1.10-1.20), and those from the remainder of the Southern region of the U.S. (AOR1.14, 95% CI: 1.08-1.21) were significantly more likely to report ≥14ALD due to poor physical or mental health.

Conclusion

The prevalence of ≥14ALD due to poor physical or mental health among the study population was associated with sociodemographic and region of residence factors. These findings highlight the need for prevention strategies specifically for populations who might be more at risk for ALD due to social determinants of health.

Fatores associados à qualidade de vida em idosos com osteoartrite de joelho

O estudo visou investigar se a qualidade de vida (QV) de idosos com osteoartrite (OA) de joelho pode ser influenciada por fatores sociodemográficos e/ou por parâmetros clínicos e funcionais gerados pela doença. A uma amostra de 40 idosos atendidos em ambulatório de reabilitação gerontológica na cidade de São Paulo foi aplicado o questionário de QV 36-Item Short-Form Survey (SF-36). A funcionalidade, a rigidez articular e a dor foram medidas pelo Womac - Western Ontario and MacMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index; os dados sociodemográficos, as variáveis clínicas e o uso de recursos físicos e medicamentosos para controle da dor foram obtidos por questionário complementar. A análise de regressão linear mostrou relação independente entre o domínio funcionalidade do Womac e seis domínios do SF-36 (p<0,05). São determinantes de pior QV na amostra estudada a dificuldade na realização de atividades funcionais, usar dispositivo de auxílio à marcha, apresentar comprometimento articular bilateral, o recurso a diversos meios para alívio da dor, bem como a baixa escolaridade e o fato de morar com outro de sua geração (r=0,3; p<0,05). As atividades funcionais mais comprometidas foram as que envolvem a flexo-extensão de joelho e descarga de peso na articulação afetada. Fatores tanto sociodemográficos como clínicos e funcionais gerados pela OA influenciaram negativamente a QV de idosos com OA de joelho.

Prevalence and correlates of inflammatory arthritis in Germany: data from the First National Health Survey

The aim of this paper is to generate data on the prevalence of inflammatory arthritis in different subgroups of the population and to identify correlates on the basis of population-based cross-sectional data: the "First National Health Survey of the Federal Republic of Germany". This Survey investigated the prevalence of inflammatory arthritis, comorbidity and health-relevant behaviors on the basis of interviews with physicians and medical evaluations conducted in the period from October 1997 to March 1999. The study was based on a net sample comprising 6,461 subjects aged 18-79. Our data demonstrate an overall prevalence of 3.4% for inflammatory arthritis. The prevalence of inflammatory arthritis is significantly higher in women, the over-50, lower-income groups, and habitual smokers. Patients with inflammatory arthritis have a higher rate of numerous comorbidities such as osteoporosis, thyroid disease, chronic bronchial disease, hypertension, and elevated blood lipids versus healthy reference groups.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Healthy Days Measures - population tracking of perceived physical and mental health over time

To promote the health and quality of life of United States residents, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - with 54 state and territorial health agencies - has supported population surveillance of health-related quality of life (HRQOL). HRQOL was defined as "perceived physical and mental health over time." Commonly-used measures of health status and activity limitation were identified and a set of "Healthy Days" HRQOL measures was developed and validated. A core set of these measures (the CDC HRQOL-4) asks about self-rated general health and the number of recent days when a person was physically unhealthy, mentally unhealthy, or limited in usual activities. A summary measure combines physically and mentally unhealthy days. From 1993 to 2001, more than 1.2 million adults responded to the CDC HRQOL-4 in each state-based Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) telephone interview. More than one fifth of all BRFSS respondents also responded to a set of related questions - including five items that assess the presence, main cause and duration of a current activity limitation, and the need for activity-related personal and routine care; as well as five items that ask about recent days of pain, depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, and vitality. The Healthy Days surveillance data are particularly useful for finding unmet health needs, identifying disparities among demographic and socioeconomic subpopulations, characterizing the symptom burden of disabilities and chronic diseases, and tracking population patterns and trends. The full set of 14 Healthy Days Measures (the CDC HRQOL-14) has shown good measurement properties in several populations, languages, and settings. The brief standard CDC HRQOL-4 is now often used in surveys, surveillance systems, prevention research, and population health report cards.