Arthritis Data
What is arthritis?
Arthritis is a condition that affects joints and tissue around the joint. There are more than 100 types of arthritis, like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, fibromyalgia, and juvenile arthritis.
Arthritis can be managed. One key way to manage arthritis is staying active with joint friendly activities.
Who lives with arthritis in Minnesota?
One in three Adults in Minnesota live with arthritis, but only one in five have a diagnosis.
As many as 1.6 million adults in Minnesota may be living with arthritis.2 Many U.S. adults likely have arthritis but do not have a diagnosis.
Older adults and women are more likely to have diagnosed arthritis.
More than half of all people diagnosed with arthritis are working age adults (18-64 years old).
Infogram
Arthritis affects people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds
Rates of diagnosed arthritis may be lower among people with certain racial or ethnic backgrounds because they are younger on average, or they experience more barriers to becoming diagnosed. Non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and Asian populations tend to have many more younger adults that experience arthritis, but at lower levels. (Note: 60-75% of adults in Non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and Asian populations are 18-44 years of age compared with 40-45% of American Indian and Non-Hispanic White populations.)3 Underdiagnosis can be a problem too. National data shows younger adults are more likely to have undiagnosed arthritis as well as Hispanic and Asian adults compared with other populations.5 Barriers to accessing care ranging from access to insurance to transportation, clinical differences in how arthritis is diagnosed, and variation in cultural responsiveness can all contribute to underdiagnosis.
How does arthritis affect someone's life?
Nearly half of adults with diagnosed arthritis report having a disability.
*Note: The sum of the green bars does not equal the 'Any' bar, as a person may have more than one disability
Arthritis can greatly affect people's day-to-day lives.
Many people with diagnosed arthritis are also living with other conditions.
Nearly one in two people with arthritis have another chronic condition.
About one in four people with arthritis have a history of depression.
Many adults living with other chronic conditions also have arthritis.
Arthritis affects many people living with lung, heart, and metabolic conditions.
How much does arthritis cost?
*Note: These estimates are from 2008-2014, and the current associated health care costs of arthritis and lost wages are likely higher due to inflation.
References
1. Jafarzadeh S and Felson D. 2018. Updated Estimates Suggest a Much Higher Prevalence of Arthritis in the United States Than Previous Ones. Arthritis Rheumatol. 70(2):185-192. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29178176/
2. Minnesota Department of Health, Center for Health Promotion Analyses, 2021 Minnesota Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
3. Minnesota Department of Health, Center for Health Promotion Analyses, 2018-2020 Minnesota Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
4. https://dhhs.ne.gov/Documents/Henrichs.pdf
5. Osteoarthritis | BMUS: The Burden of Musculoskeletal Diseases in the United States https://www.boneandjointburden.org/fourth-edition/iiib10/osteoarthritis