Arthritis in Alaska

Click here for a printable version (PDF) of this fact sheet.

Arthritis includes more than 100 diseases and conditions affecting the joints, surrounding tissues, and other connective tissues.Types of arthritis and other rheumatic conditions include: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, gout, fibromyalgia, tendonitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Visit the Arthritis Foundation’s website www.arthritis.org for more information on the different types of arthritis.

Alaska Data

An estimated 107,000 adults or 23% of the adult population of Alaska have arthritis or possible arthritis.

• 23% of the adult population of Alaska has been told by a doctor that they have arthritis.

• 19% of Alaska residents over the age of 18 report possible arthritis (chronic joint symptoms).

• 57% of Alaska residents over the age of 18 report no arthritis.

Among Alaska residents over the age of 18 who have been diagnosed with arthritis, 29% perceive their health status as fair or poor.

Among Alaska residents over the age of 18 who diagnosed arthritis, 40% report being limited in their activities due to arthritis or joint symptoms

Arthritis Prevalence

Risk increases with age.

• Nationally, almost 60% of adults 65 years of age and older have arthritis.

• In Alaska , approximately 21% of adults aged 18-64 have doctor-diagnosed arthritis.

• Among Alaska residents aged 65 years and older, 51% have doctor- diagnosed arthritis.

• Nearly 80 percent of people with arthritis in Alaska are younger then 65 years.

Obesity

There is an association between obesity and certain types of arthritis including osteoarthritis and gout. Excess body weight increases the pressure and stress on weight bearing joints.

• 27% of overweight or obese Alaskan adults vs 17% of normal or underweight Alaskan adults have doctor-diagnosed arthritis.

• Body Mass Index (BMI) is a weight status indicator measuring weight for height (kg÷m²)

• Obese: BMI > 30

• Overweight: BMI between 25 and 29.9

• Normal/Underweight : BMI < 25

Education

Nationally, there is an association between level of education and arthritis. Arthritis is more prevalent among those with less than a high school education in the U.S. , but there is not a significant difference in Alaska . 

• Percentage of arthritis or possible arthritis among Alaska residents over the age of 18 is highest among those with some college education (25%), however the difference is very small.

Income

There is an association between level of household income and arthritis.

• Doctor-diagnosed arthritis is more prevalent among A
• laska adults living in households in the lowest annual income bracket.

Gender

There is an association between gender and arthritis. Arthritis is generally more prevalent among women than among men.

• In Alaska , approximately 25% of women have doctor-diagnosed arthritis compared to 22% of men.

• In Alaska , approximately 19% of women have possible arthritis compared to 20% of men.

Physical Activity

There is an association between physical activity and arthritis. Those with arthritis or possible arthritis report less leisure-time activity than those without arthritis.

Levels of Physical Activity defined as:

Recommended : participating in moderate physical activity at least 5 times per week for at least 30 minutes or vigorous physical activity at least 3 times per week for at least 20 minutes.

Insufficient: some activity but not enough to meet recommendations.

Inactive : not participating in any physical activity or exercise other than their regular job in the past 30 days.  

• Overall, Alaskan adults with doctor-diagnosed arthritis have a lower rate of physical activity compared with Alaskan adults without arthritis.

• 14% of Alaskan adults with doctor-diagnosed arthritis reported no moderate or vigorous physical activity. (Moderate activity refers to any activity that burns 3.5 to 7 Calories per minute. Vigorous activity refers to any activity that burns more than 7 Calories per minute)

Proven Interventions

• Weight Control : Decreasing BMI by 2 units reduces a person’s risk for osteoarthritis by approximately 50%.
• Avoid Injuries : Strategies include stretching and use of equipment such as knee braces.
• Self -Management: Proven Arthritis Foundation programs such as the Arthritis Foundation Self-Help Program, the Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program, and the Arthritis Foundation Aquatics Program.
• Physical Activity : Improves flexibility, joint mobility while reducing joint pain and stiffness. Contact the Arthritis Foundation for more information on the Arthritis Foundation Aquatic Program or the Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program at http://www.arthritis.org/

The Alaska Arthritis Program

In response to the National Arthritis Action Plan (NAAP) recommendations, CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion established cooperative agreements with state health departments as early as 1999 to develop and enhance state-based arthritis programs. The program’s aim is to decrease the burden of arthritis and related diseases and improve the quality of life among people living with the diseases.

Since 1999, the Alaska Arthritis Program has received approximately $145,000 annually in funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to:

• Develop and implement the Alaska Arthritis and Osteoporosis Plan, with the Alaska Arthritis Advisory Group.
• Promote the CDC Physical Activity: The Arthritis Pain Reliever health communication campaign that is aimed towards people living with arthritis.
• Implement proven arthritis interventions in collaboration with the Arthritis Foundation and community partners.
• Collect, analyze and disseminate surveillance data on the burden of arthritis in Alaska .

Please visit the Alaska Arthritis Program web site, www.hss.state.ak.us/dph/chronic/arthritis, to find more information

Information on this document is from the 2005 Alaska Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey (BRFSS). For the purpose of this document, arthritis refers to people who have been diagnosed by a physician as having arthritis. Possible Arthritis is defined as people who have not been diagnosed by a physician and have reported having pain, aching, stiffness, or swelling in or around a joint during the past 30 days and first began more than 3 months ago.

Sources

CDC. Prevalence of Self-Reported Arthritis or Chronic Joint Symptoms Among Adults— United States, 2001. MMWR 2003; 948-950.

Ainsworth et al., 2000

Felson DT, Zhang Y, Hannan MT, et al: Risk factors for incident radiographic knee osteoarthritis in the elderly: the Framingham Study. Arthritis and Rheumatism. 1997;40:728-7 33.

Arthritis Foundation, 2004

CDC, 2004

Ibid.

This publication was supported by Grant/Cooperative Agreement Number U58/CCU022905-03 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.