Prevalence and impact of chronic joint symptoms--seven states, 1996.

Arthritis and other rheumatic conditions are the leading cause of disability the United States, affecting 42.7 million persons and costing 65 billion dollars in 1992. These numbers will increase by 2020 as the population ages. Few surveys exist to directly determine the prevalence and impact of arthritis at the state level. To address this gap, in 1995 state health departments and CDC developed a standardized, optional arthritis module for the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). This report summarizes results of the analyses of 1996 data in seven states. The findings indicate that the prevalence and impact of "chronic joint symptoms"-- a proposed indicator for true arthritis and other rheumatic conditions -- is high and variable among states and that a large proportion of persons with arthritis diagnosed by a doctor do not know the type of arthritis they have.