Table 1. Characteristics of Arthritis Populations in 1998 and 2004.

Demographic Characteristics	1998	2004
	(n=465)	(n=671)
Age: Mean (Standard Deviation [SD])	74.9 (6.64)	75.0 (6.31)
Individual Income in $2004: Mean (SD)	$27,454 ($36,602)	$23,585 ($19,585)
More Than High School Education (%)	26.7%	39.2%
Male	34.0%	32.5%
Married	51.4%	46.9%
White	90.4%	90.1%
Number of Chronic Disease: Mean (SD)	1.49 (1.10)	1.68 (1.13)
Health: Excellent	11.6%	13.4%
Health: Very Good	23.2%	26.4%
Health: Good	37.5%	32.0%
Health: Fair	18.0%	20.2%
Health: Poor	9.8%	8.0%