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Maryland Value:
Percentage of adults who reported ever being told by a health professional that they had some form of arthritis
Maryland Rank:
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Percentage of adults who reported ever being told by a health professional that they had some form of arthritis
US Value: 27.7%
Top State(s): California: 20.4%
Bottom State(s): West Virginia: 40.1%
Definition: Percentage of adults who reported ever being told by a health professional that they had some form of arthritis
Data Source and Years(s): CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2022
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2024.
Arthritis is a general term that describes more than 100 conditions that result in inflammation or swelling of the joints. Arthritis is a major cause of pain and workplace disability. About 1 in 4 adults with arthritis experience joint pain. Many also experience limitations in daily activities such as walking, standing, sitting, reaching, grasping objects and social participation. Common symptoms of arthritis include pain, redness, swelling of the joints, having trouble moving around and a rash or itch around the joint area.
The total cost of arthritis, including medical care costs and lost earnings attributable to arthritis, was $303.5 billion in 2013.
Risk factors for arthritis include smoking, having overweight or obesity, having a history of joint injury or infection and performing a job that requires a lot of repetitive bending or squatting.
According to America’s Health Rankings data, the prevalence of arthritis is higher among:
Arthritis risk can be reduced by maintaining a healthy weight, engaging in regular physical activity and avoiding joint injuries. For those with arthritis, engaging in physical activity can improve arthritis pain and quality of life. Joint-friendly exercises include walking, biking and swimming.
Common treatments for adults with arthritis include pain medication, such as topical creams or ointments, and medications that can slow the progress of the disease. Non-drug pain management tools and strategies include massage, acupuncture and chiropractic care. Joint replacement surgery is also an option for some when medication and other alternatives have been exhausted.
County Health Rankings & Roadmaps recommends chronic disease self-management programs to help keep patients engaged in management of their conditions through education and behavioral interventions
Healthy People 2030 has four arthritis-related objectives to reduce the amount of pain and limitations to activity and work people experience as a result of arthritis, as well as to increase the proportion of adults with arthritis who get counseling for physical activity.
Guglielmo, Dana, Louise B. Murphy, Kristina A. Theis, Michael A. Boring, Charles G. Helmick, Kathleen B. Watson, Lindsey M. Duca, Erica L. Odom, Yong Liu, and Janet B. Croft. “Walking and Other Common Physical Activities Among Adults with Arthritis — United States, 2019.” MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 70, no. 40 (2021). https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7040a3.
Murphy, Louise B., Miriam G. Cisternas, David J. Pasta, Charles G. Helmick, and Edward H. Yelin. “Medical Expenditures and Earnings Losses Among US Adults With Arthritis in 2013.” Arthritis Care & Research 70, no. 6 (2018): 869–76. https://doi.org/10.1002/acr.23425.
Theis, Kristina A., Douglas W. Roblin, Charles G. Helmick, and Ruiyan Luo. “Prevalence and Causes of Work Disability among Working-Age U.S. Adults, 2011–2013, NHIS.” Disability and Health Journal 11, no. 1 (January 1, 2018): 108–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2017.04.010.
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