I just got this in one of my nursing newsletters.

[Guest guest]

Effect of Arthritis on Health-Related Quality of Life Quantified

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WESTPORT, May 05 (Reuters Health) - Adults with arthritis report a

substantially worse health-related quality of life than people

without arthritis, according to a report in today's issue of the

CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The report also notes

that available interventions for pain management and patient

education are underused.

The researchers collected data from 11 US states that included an

arthritis module in the 1996 to 1998 Behavioral Risk Factor

Surveillance System. Of the 32,322 individuals surveyed, 29% reported

having arthritis.

" Respondents with arthritis reported having fair or poor health

approximately three times more often than respondents without

arthritis, " the research team writes. Compared with people without

arthritis, those with arthritis " averaged 4.2 more days when physical

health was not good, 1.6 more days when mental health was poor, 4.6

more unhealthy days and 2.3 more days of recent activity

limitation...during the 30 days preceding the survey. "

Women, people with no college education, and younger persons

accounted for the largest number of unhealthy days. Depression was

linked with all types of arthritis, especially rheumatoid arthritis.

The National Arthritis Action Plan-A Public Health Strategy is

mentioned in the report as a source for interventions such as the

Arthritis Self-Help Course, " which helps persons to decrease their

pain and number of physician visits. " According to the Arthritis

Foundation these interventions reach fewer than 1% of people with

arthritis in the US.

MMWR 2000;49:366-369.