Arthritis as a potential barrier to physical activity among adults with obesity--United States, 2007 and 2009

Abstract

Adults with obesity are less likely than adults without obesity to follow physical activity recommendations, despite the known benefits of physical activity for weight loss and weight maintenance). Arthritis is a common comorbidity of adults with obesity, and arthritis-related joint pain and functional limitation might contribute substantially to low rates of physical activity among adults with obesity. CDC analyzed combined 2007 and 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data for adults aged ≥ 18 years to estimate overall and state-specific prevalence of 1) self-reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis among adults with self-reported obesity, and 2) prevalence of self-reported physical inactivity among adults with obesity by arthritis status. This report describes the results of that analysis, which indicted that, overall, arthritis affected 35.6% of adults with obesity. After adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and education level, adults with obesity and arthritis were 44% more likely to be physically inactive compared with persons with obesity but without arthritis. Among states, the median prevalence of arthritis among adults with obesity was 35.6%. In every state/area except Guam, the prevalence of physical inactivity among adults with obesity was at least 5 percentage points higher (range: 5.4--15.9 percentage points) among persons with arthritis than those without arthritis. Arthritis might be a special barrier to increasing physical activity among many adults with obesity. Safe and effective self-management education and physical activity programs for adults with arthritis exist to address this barrier, are offered in many communities, and can help adults with obesity and arthritis become more physically active.