EVIDENCE BASED PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY AND PRACTICE

Physical activity and health related quality of life among people with arthritis

Jill E Abell¹, Jennifer M Hootman², Matthew M Zack², David Moriarty² and Charles G Helmick²

¹ Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
² Division of Adult and Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr J M Hootman
Division of Adult and Community Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Mailstop K-51, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA; jhootman{at}cdc.gov

Study objective: To assess the association between physical activity and health related quality of life (HRQOL) among persons with arthritis or chronic joint symptoms (CJS).

Design: Cross sectional survey investigating the relation between physical activity level and HRQOL. HRQOL was estimated using the number of physically or mentally unhealthy days during the past 30 days. Physical activity was categorised as recommended, insufficient, or inactive according to federal activity recommendations. Persons with arthritis were defined as those with either self reported CJS or doctor diagnosed arthritis.

Setting: Community dwelling, US adults residing in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Participants: Respondents (n = 212 000) in the 2001 behavioral risk factor surveillance system (BRFSS), an annual population based, telephone survey.

Main results: The 33% of BRFSS respondents with arthritis had a mean of 6.7 physically and 4.9 mentally unhealthy days during the past 30 days, compared with 1.8 and 2.7 among those without arthritis. Inactive men and women were 1.2–2.4 times more likely to report impaired HRQOL compared with those who met physical activity recommendations. Men and women who engage in insufficient physical activity also report variably reduced HRQOL.

Conclusions: Among people with arthritis, recommended levels of physical activity were associated with fewer mean physically and mentally unhealthy days and a decreased probability of having severely impaired physical or mental HRQOL.

Abbreviations: HRQOL, health related quality of life; CJS, chronic joint symptoms; BRFSS, behavioral risk factor surveillance system; PA, physical activity

Keywords: wellness; quality of life; musculoskeletal disease; physical activity

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