TABLE 1. Prevalence of doctor-diagnosed arthritis (crude and age-standardized) among U.S. adults aged ≥18 years, by urban-rural status and selected characteristics — Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2015*.
| Characteristics | Large metro center (city) | Large fringe metro (suburb) | Medium metro | Small metro | Micropolitan | Noncore (rural) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of respondents |
69,362 |
81,703 |
92,484 |
57,348 |
65,004 |
60,460 |
| No. with arthritis |
20,333 |
26,651 |
31,069 |
20,000 |
23,703 |
22,931 |
|
Prevalence
|
% (95% CI)
|
% (95% CI)
|
% (95% CI)
|
% (95% CI)
|
% (95% CI)
|
% (95% CI)
|
| Unadjusted |
20.5 (20.1–21.0) |
24.3 (23.8–24.8) |
25.9 (25.4–26.4) |
27.2 (26.6–27.8) |
29.6 (28.9–30.2) |
31.8 (31.0–32.5) |
| Age-standardized† |
20.0 (19.6–20.5) |
22.0 (21.6–22.5) |
23.7 (23.3–24.2) |
24.6 (24.1–25.2) |
26.1 (25.5–26.7) |
26.9 (26.2–27.5) |
|
Age group (yrs)
| ||||||
| 18–44 |
6.0 (5.6–6.5) |
7.7 (7.2–8.2) |
9.0 (8.5–9.6) |
9.1 (8.4–9.9) |
11.1 (10.3–12.0) |
11.0 (10.2–11.9) |
| 45–64 |
28.0 (27.0–28.9) |
30.8 (30.0–31.7) |
33.8 (33.0–34.7) |
36.3 (35.1–37.4) |
37.0 (35.9–38.1) |
39.2 (38.0–40.4) |
| ≥65 |
49.7 (48.3–51.0) |
51.2 (50.1–52.2) |
51.9 (50.9–52.8) |
52.7 (51.5–54.0) |
53.8 (52.6–55.0) |
54.7 (53.4–55.9) |
|
Sex†
| ||||||
| Male |
16.8 (16.1–17.4) |
18.9 (18.3–19.4) |
20.7 (20.1–21.3) |
21.7 (20.9–22.5) |
23.0 (22.2–23.9) |
23.8 (23.0–24.7) |
| Female |
22.9 (22.3–23.5) |
24.9 (24.3–25.5) |
26.6 (26.0–27.2) |
27.5 (26.7–28.3) |
29.2 (28.3–30.0) |
29.8 (28.9–30.7) |
|
Race/Ethnicity†
| ||||||
| White, non-Hispanic |
21.4 (20.8–22.0) |
23.4 (22.9–23.9) |
25.0 (24.5–25.6) |
25.4 (24.7–26.1) |
27.0 (26.3–27.8) |
27.7 (27.0–28.4) |
| Black, non-Hispanic |
22.9 (21.7–24.1) |
22.6 (21.3–24.1) |
24.5 (23.2–25.8) |
26.0 (23.8–28.3) |
24.9 (23.1–26.8) |
25.8 (23.8–27.9) |
| Hispanic |
18.1 (17.0–19.3) |
16.8 (15.3–18.4) |
18.2 (17.0–19.5) |
17.7 (15.8–19.8) |
17.3 (15.1–19.6) |
16.6 (14.0–19.6) |
| American Indian/ Alaska Native |
32.1 (25.3–39.8) |
30.0 (24.1–36.7) |
31.9 (27.8–36.2) |
33.1 (28.2–38.3) |
30.6 (26.7–34.8) |
26.3 (23.2–29.7) |
| Asian |
11.4 (9.4–13.6) |
11.5 (9.2–14.2) |
15.2 (12.0–19.1) |
11.8 (8.8–15.6) |
9.9 (7.2–13.3) |
23.5 (16.6–32.3) |
| Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander |
29.5 (21.8–38.7) |
21.5 (13.8–31.8) |
16.1 (10.2–24.6) |
29.8 (18.3–44.6) |
14.4 (8.3–23.8) |
UR§ |
| Multiracial, non-Hispanic |
24.6 (21.2–28.3) |
28.4 (24.9–32.1) |
30.2 (27.4–33.1) |
30.6 (26.1–35.5) |
35.4 (31.4–39.5) |
35.1 (29.8–40.7) |
| Others, non-Hispanic |
15.2 (11.4–19.9) |
20.8 (15.9–26.6) |
31.3 (24.1–39.6) |
28.8 (22.3–36.4) |
23.0 (15.6–32.4) |
29.6 (17.1–46.1) |
|
Education†
| ||||||
| Less than HS |
21.8 (20.4–23.2) |
25.9 (24.2–27.6) |
26.8 (25.4–28.3) |
28.5 (26.5–30.5) |
31.4 (29.2–33.6) |
31.9 (29.9–33.9) |
| HS or equivalent |
21.7 (20.8–22.6) |
23.7 (22.9–24.5) |
24.9 (24.1–25.7) |
26.4 (25.4–27.5) |
25.9 (25.0–26.9) |
27.6 (26.6–28.5) |
| Some college |
21.9 (21.1–22.8) |
23.7 (22.9–24.5) |
24.8 (24.1–25.6) |
24.9 (23.9–25.9) |
26.7 (25.7–27.7) |
26.5 (25.4–27.6) |
| College and above |
15.9 (15.3–16.5) |
17.8 (17.2–18.3) |
19.3 (18.7–19.9) |
19.3 (18.5–20.1) |
20.8 (19.9–21.7) |
20.3 (19.2–21.4) |
|
Employment†
| ||||||
| Employed/Self-employed |
15.6 (15.0–16.3) |
17.7 (17.1–18.3) |
19.2 (18.5–19.8) |
19.0 (18.2–19.8) |
20.8 (20.0–21.6) |
20.2 (19.3–21.0) |
| Unemployed |
20.0 (18.0–22.1) |
21.9 (19.8–24.0) |
22.9 (20.7–25.3) |
26.9 (23.9–30.1) |
26.5 (23.3–30.0) |
27.3 (24.1–30.8) |
| Retired |
28.6 (23.0–35.0) |
28.9 (23.5–34.9) |
38.9 (29.7–48.9) |
40.4 (30.1–51.7) |
47.0 (31.9–62.7) |
39.1 (25.0–55.3) |
| Unable to work because of disability |
42.3 (39.6–45.2) |
49.8 (46.6–53.0) |
51.8 (49.1–54.4) |
56.4 (52.6–60.1) |
54.8 (51.3–58.3) |
56.7 (53.2–60.2) |
| Other (student/ homemaker) |
19.6 (18.0–21.3) |
22.3 (20.9–23.8) |
22.8 (21.5–24.1) |
22.7 (20.9–24.7) |
24.5 (22.4–26.8) |
24.5 (22.6–26.5) |
|
Health characteristics
| ||||||
|
Body mass index (kg/m2)†
| ||||||
| <25.0 (under/normal weight) |
16.4 (15.7–17.1) |
17.7 (17.0–18.4) |
19.1 (18.5–19.8) |
20.3 (19.3–21.3) |
21.3 (20.3–22.4) |
22.3 (21.3–23.4) |
| 25.0–29.9 (overweight) |
18.7 (17.9–19.4) |
20.6 (19.9–21.3) |
22.2 (21.5–23.0) |
22.8 (21.8–23.8) |
23.4 (22.5–24.4) |
24.6 (23.4–25.7) |
| ≥30 (obese) |
27.4 (26.5–28.4) |
30.1 (29.1–31.1) |
31.0 (30.1–32.0) |
31.3 (30.2–32.4) |
34.3 (33.1–35.6) |
33.3 (32.2–34.5) |
|
Smoking status†
| ||||||
| Current smoker |
25.2 (23.8–26.6) |
28.6 (27.3–30.1) |
29.3 (28.2–30.5) |
30.1 (28.6–31.7) |
32.0 (30.4–33.6) |
34.1 (32.5–35.7) |
| Former smoker |
24.1 (23.1–25.2) |
25.8 (24.8–26.7) |
27.0 (25.9–28.0) |
27.3 (26.0–28.6) |
29.8 (28.4–31.3) |
29.8 (28.4–31.3) |
| Never smoker |
17.5 (16.9–18.0) |
18.8 (18.3–19.3) |
20.8 (20.3–21.3) |
21.5 (20.9–22.2) |
22.0 (21.3–22.8) |
22.4 (21.7–23.2) |
|
Physical activity (aerobic)
†,¶
| ||||||
| Active |
18.2 (17.6–18.9) |
20.4 (19.8–20.9) |
21.4 (20.8–22.0) |
22.3 (21.5–23.1) |
23.4 (22.5–24.2) |
24.5 (23.6–25.5) |
| Insufficiently active |
19.1 (18.1–20.2) |
21.5 (20.5–22.5) |
23.6 (22.6–24.6) |
24.3 (22.9–25.7) |
25.3 (24.0–26.6) |
25.3 (23.8–26.7) |
| Inactive |
24.8 (23.8–25.8) |
26.8 (25.9–27.8) |
29.2 (28.2–30.2) |
29.6 (28.3–31.0) |
32.2 (30.8–33.6) |
31.3 (30.0–32.5) |
|
Self-rated health†
| ||||||
| Excellent/Very good |
13.8 (13.2–14.3) |
15.5 (15.0–16.0) |
16.3 (15.8–16.8) |
16.3 (15.7–16.9) |
17.1 (16.4–17.8) |
16.6 (15.9–17.3) |
| Good |
21.0 (20.2–21.9) |
24.2 (23.4–25.0) |
25.2 (24.4–26.0) |
26.4 (25.4–27.5) |
27.2 (26.1–28.3) |
27.5 (26.3–28.6) |
| Fair/Poor |
34.2 (32.8–35.7) |
40.9 (39.2–42.7) |
41.2 (39.8–42.6) |
43.8 (41.8–45.9) |
46.2 (44.1–48.4) |
47.9 (45.8–50.1) |
|
Functionally disabled†,** | ||||||
| Yes |
37.8 (36.5–39.1) |
43.1 (41.6–44.5) |
44.2 (42.9–45.5) |
46.1 (44.3–47.9) |
47.9 (46.1–49.7) |
49.8 (47.9–51.8) |
| No | 14.8 (14.3–15.2) | 16.9 (16.5–17.3) | 17.5 (17.1–17.9) | 17.8 (17.3–18.4) | 18.7 (18.1–19.3) | 18.6 (18.0–19.2) |
Abbreviations: CI = confidence interval; HS = high school; UR = unreliable.
* Estimates are weighted and account for the complex sampling design.
† Estimates age-standardized to the 2000 U.S standard population aged ≥18 years using three groups (18–44 years, 45–64 years, ≥65 years).
§ Estimates are unreliable and are suppressed (sample size <50 or relative standard error >30%).
¶ Respondents were classified as active if they reported ≥150 minutes of moderate intensity leisure time aerobic physical activity per week, insufficiently active if they reported 1–149 minutes, and inactive if they reported 0 minutes. Reported vigorous intensity physical activity minutes were counted double and added to moderate intensity physical activity minutes.
** Respondents were classified as functionally disabled if they answered yes to any of the following five questions: “Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, do you have serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions?”; “Do you have serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs?”; “Are you blind or do you have serious difficulty seeing, even when wearing glasses?”; “Do you have difficulty dressing or bathing?”; “Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, do you have difficulty doing errands alone such as visiting a doctor’s office or shopping?”