title: The contribution of osteoarthritis to disability: preliminary data from the Women's Health and Aging Study.
abstract: Our objective was to examine the relationship of a self-reported physician diagnosis of arthritis with disability in elderly community dwelling women. Data from a representative sample of 1541 women aged 65 and above were analyzed to determine the prevalence and associations of a self-reported physician diagnosis of arthritis with other chronic conditions and difficulty performing physical activities. A history of physician diagnosed arthritis was reported by 902 (58.5%) women. Women with arthritis were significantly more likely to report fair or poor perceived health, as well as a physician diagnosis of angina, myocardial infarction, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, lung disease, and hearing and vision problems. After adjustment for age, race, education, marital status, and comorbid/geriatric conditions, arthritis was significantly associated with difficulty in the following 13 activities: raising arms, lifting < or = 10 pounds, walking 2-3 blocks, bathing or showering, climbing 10 steps, grasping, getting in or out of a bed or chair, dressing, using the toilet, preparing meals, doing personal shopping, heavy and light housework. We conclude that physician diagnosed arthritis is a common problem among elderly community dwelling women and is associated with difficulties in physical activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Hochberg
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kasper
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skinner
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Fried
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016387:Women's Health