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CDC
Presents First State-by-tate Data On Work Limitations Caused By
Arthritis
14
Oct 2007
As
edited by Joint-Pain-Forum.com
Work
limitation due to arthritis in all working-age adults ranges from a low
of 3.4 percent in Hawaii to a high of 15 percent in Kentucky, according
to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study that
provides the first ever state-by-state data on adults experiencing work
limitations caused by arthritis.
The proportion of
working-age adults with arthritis who reported that the disease was
severe enough to limit their ability to work ranged from 25.1 percent
in Nevada to 51.3 percent in Kentucky, the report said.
The
study, "State-specific Prevalence of Arthritis-Attributable Work
Limitation-United States, 2003," was released in CDC′s Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report. The data on arthritis -attributable work
limitation covers adults aged 18-64 in all 50 states, the District of
Columbia, and U.S. territories.
"These findings
show that large numbers of workers in every state are affected by
arthritis," said Janet Collins, Ph.D., director, CDC′s National Center
for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. "With the
increasing number of older Americans in the nation′s workforce, it is
important that employers, health departments and others take steps that
help people with arthritis stay employed or become employed."
----------------------------
Article
adapted by
www.Joint-Pain-Forum.com from original press release.
----------------------------
The study examined the percent of all
working age adults in each state who experience work limitations due to
arthritis and was conducted using self-reported data from the 2003
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. The
variations across states may be related to the difference prevalence of
arthritis across states or to the predominance of certain occupations,
which can worsen arthritic symptoms, such as mining, manufacturing, and
agricultural jobs, in some states.
"There′s no
question that people with arthritis face a number of challenges," said
Kristina Theis, M.P.H., the study′s lead author in CDC′s Division of
Adult and Community Health. "Fortunately, simple workplace
accommodations like flexible work schedules, ergonomic work stations
and efforts to promote exercise and physical activity can help many
workers who have arthritis."
Arthritis, which
comprises more than 100 different diseases and conditions, is the most
frequent cause of disability in the United States, limiting the
activities of nearly 19 million adults. Through its arthritis program,
CDC supports activities in 36 states and works with partners to
implement evidence-based community interventions to reduce pain and
disability and improve the quality of life for people with arthritis.
For
more information, please visit CDC′s Arthritis Web Site at http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis
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