Prevalence of self-reported arthritis or chronic joint symptoms among adults--United States, 2001.

Arthritis and other rheumatic conditions comprise the leading cause of disability among adults in the United States, and the cost of this public health burden is expected to increase as the U.S. population ages. State-specific estimates of the prevalence of arthritis and chronic joint symptoms (CJS) are important for planning health services and programs to prevent arthritis-related disability and for tracking progress toward meeting state and national health objectives for 2010. In 2001, questions about arthritis and CJS were asked of adult respondents in every state through the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). This report summarizes the results of that survey, which indicate that the estimated U.S. prevalence of arthritis/CJS was 33.0% among adults. Increased intervention efforts, including early diagnosis and appropriate clinical and self-management (e.g., physical activity, education, and maintaining appropriate weight), are needed to reduce the impact of arthritis and CJS.