Geography of Arthritis-attributable Pain in the USA Save

The journal Pain has shown geographic differences in arthritis-attributable pain, arthritis-related outcomes mostly clustered in the Deep South and Appalachia, while severe arthritis pain is more prevalent in the Southwest, Pacific Northwest, Georgia, Florida, and Maine.  

The prevalence of chronic pain has been increasing among US adults in the past 2 decades. In 2019, 50.2 million US adults reported having chronic pain. In 2013 to 2015, 26.8% (14.6 million) of those with arthritis reported having severe joint pain and 43.5% (23.7 million) had activity limitations caused by their arthritis.

There is little data on the geographic distribution of pain and arthritis outcomes in the USA; with little available to inform decisions or planning at the state or county level. Infrequenty the geography of pain and arthritis has been reported as arthritis prevalence, arthritis-attributable joint pain, and general (all-cause) pain.

Using data from based on data from the US Census and the 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System BRFSS surveys, researchers assessed arthritis and arthritis-attributable joint pain, severe joint pain, and activity limitations in US counties. 

They found higher prevalences of arthritis and arthritis-related outcomes are clustered in the Deep South, Appalachia and Michigan, while severe consequences of arthritis were more common in counties in the Southwest, Pacific Northwest, Georgia, Florida, and Maine. 

Severe joint pain was more common in counties with more female individuals, separated or divorced residents, more high school noncompleters, fewer chiropractors, and higher opioid prescribing rates. Activity limitations are more common in counties with higher percentages of uninsured people. 

Will these spatial differences in the distribution of different arthritis-related pain outcomes be used at the state or county level to better inform local policies and programs to reduce the risk of arthritis and its consequences?