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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Arthritis

Goal: Reduce pain and disability from arthritis.

An older woman, surrounded by trees, stretches gently.

About 1 in 4 adults in the United States have arthritis, a leading cause of disability.1,2 Healthy People 2030 focuses on reducing pain, disability, and limitations from arthritis — especially as it becomes more common in the aging population.

Many adults with arthritis have severe pain. Nearly half of people with arthritis have trouble doing daily activities,1 and the condition can limit the ability to work. Strategies to help adults manage their arthritis, like interventions to increase physical activity, may help address activity limitations by reducing pain and disability.

Adults with arthritis are also more likely to have other chronic conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Encouraging adults to manage arthritis may help improve their other health problems and overall health.

Objective Status

  • 0 Target met or exceeded
  • 0 Improving
  • 4 Little or no detectable change
  • 0 Getting worse
  • 0 Baseline only
  • 0 Developmental
  • 0 Research

Learn more about objective types

Related Objectives

The following is a sample of objectives related to this topic. Some objectives may include population data.

Arthritis — General

Reduce the proportion of adults with arthritis who have moderate or severe joint pain — A‑01
Little or no detectable change
Reduce the proportion of adults with arthritis whose arthritis limits their work — A‑03
Little or no detectable change

Physical Activity

Reduce the proportion of adults with arthritis whose arthritis limits their activities — A‑02
Little or no detectable change
Increase the proportion of adults with arthritis who get counseling for physical activity — A‑04
Little or no detectable change

Other topics you may be interested in

References

1.

Barbour, K.E., Helmick, C.G., Boring, M., & Brady, T.J. (2017). Vital Signs: Prevalence of Doctor-Diagnosed Arthritis and Arthritis-Attributable Activity Limitation — United States, 2013-2015. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 66(9):246-253. http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6609e1 

2.

Theis, K.A., et al. (2019). Which One? What Kind? How Many? Types, Causes, and Prevalence of Disability Among U.S. Adults. Disability and Health Journal, 12(3):411-421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2019.03.001