Arthritis Among Adults in the United States

Audiologists may work with patients who have a diagnosis of arthritis. Depending on the areas impacted, arthritis has the potential to impact both audiological testing and rehabilitation considerations. 

Elgaddal and colleagues (2024) used data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey to determine that the age-adjusted percentage of adults with arthritis in the United States was 18.9 percent. A respondent was considered to have arthritis if they answered affirmatively to the following question: “Have you ever been told by a doctor or other health professional that you had some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia?” 

Women were significantly more likely to have arthritis than men, and the percentage of those with arthritis significantly increased with age. It is worth noting that over half (53.9 percent) of those 75 years of age and older were considered to have arthritis. 

These authors also explored the relationship between arthritis and other sociodemographic factors such as race, Hispanic origin, family income, geographic region, and level of urbanization.

Reference

Elgaddal N, Kramarow EA, Weeks JD, Reuben C. (2024) Arthritis in adults age 18 and older: United States, 2022. NCHS Data Brief 497.