The American Viewpoint

Arthritis and musculoskeletal diseases are the most common chronic diseases and causes of physical disability in the United States [1]. Based on data from the 1989–1991 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), 15.1 percent of the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the United States reported the presence of a musculoskeletal condition that was classified as arthritis by the National Arthritis Data Work Group [2]. The prevalence of arthritis increased with increasing age; the majority of persons aged 65 and above reported the presence of an arthritis diagnosis (Fig. 1). Age-adjusted prevalence was higher in women than men, and in persons of non-Hispanic than of Hispanic ethnicity; there was no difference in age-adjusted prevalence between whites and blacks, but the ratio was lower in Asians [2,3]. Other factors associated with the presence of arthritis, analyzed in a subset of this cohort aged 18 and above, included being overweight, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m2 of greater, and having low levels of formal education, defined as not being a high school graduate [4].