Characteristics Correlated with Limited Physical Functioning in US Adults with Arthritis: A Cross-Sectional Database Analysis of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

Author(s)

David R. Axon, MS, PhD;
University of Arizona, Associate Professor, Tucson, AZ, USA

Presentation Documents

OBJECTIVES: There is paucity of literature describing limited physical functioning among United States (US) adults with arthritis. This analysis investigated the characteristics correlated with limited physical functioning among adults with arthritis in the US.
METHODS: This was a cross-sectional database study that utilized Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data. Eligible study subjects were adults ≥18 years with arthritis. Logistic regression models were applied to assess the correlation between several characteristics (age, sex, race, ethnicity, schooling, employment, marriage, household income, health insurance, pain, comorbid conditions, general health, mental health, exercise, smoking status) and whether the person had limited physical functioning (yes versus no). The a priory alpha level=0.05.
RESULTS: This analysis included 5,102 US adults with arthritis (estimated weighted population=64,136,870). In the multivariable logistic regression model, these characteristics were correlated with greater odds of the person having limited physical functioning: age ≥70 versus 18-49 years (odds ratio [OR]=1.87, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.23-2.86), ages 60-69 versus 18-49 years (OR=1.64 95% CI=1.07-2.51), females versus males (OR=1.28 95% CI=1.04-1.56), quite a bit or extreme versus little pain (OR=5.19 95% CI=3.98-6.77), moderate versus little pain (OR=2.09 95% CI=1.64-2.66), ≥6 versus 0-1 comorbid conditions (OR=2.23 95% CI=1.45-3.42), and 4-5 versus 0-1 comorbid conditions (OR=1.65 95% CI=1.20-2.26). Conversely, these characteristics were correlated with lower odds of the person having limited physical functioning: high school or less versus more than high school (OR=0.73 95% CI=0.59-0.91), employed versus unemployed (OR=0.72 95% CI=0.55-0.95), married versus not married (OR=0.51 95% CI=0.40-0.64), excellent/very good versus poor general health (OR=0.43 95% CI=0.30-0.60), good versus poor general health (OR=0.66 95% CI=0.51-0.85), and exercising versus not exercising (OR=0.67 95% CI=0.54-0.83).
CONCLUSIONS: Several characteristics of relevance to US adults with arthritis and their correlation with limited physical functioning have been identified in this analysis, which may warrant deeper investigation in future research.

Conference/Value in Health Info

2025-05, ISPOR 2025, Montréal, Quebec, CA

Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S1

Code

EPH47

Topic

Epidemiology & Public Health

Disease

SDC: Musculoskeletal Disorders (Arthritis, Bone Disorders, Osteoporosis, Other Musculoskeletal)

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