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Summary
Arthritis is a chronic inflammatory condition and a leading cause of chronic pain and disability. Veterans have more of it than nonveterans, and the veteran population has grown more diverse — so CDC updated the estimates using pooled 2017–2021 survey data.
Key findings
- About one in three veterans reported diagnosed arthritis: 34.7% of men and 31.9% of women (unadjusted).
- The gap with nonveterans is widest among the young: among men 18–44, veterans had double the arthritis prevalence; among women 18–44, 60% higher.
How it was measured
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is a yearly telephone survey of adults in every state, DC and the territories — 2,087,387 respondents over the five years.
- Arthritis: told by a health professional that you have some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus or fibromyalgia.
- Veteran: ever served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, including the National Guard or reserves.
Results
By age and sex (arthritis prevalence):
| Age | Male veterans | Male nonveterans | Ratio | Female veterans | Female nonveterans | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18–44 | 12.7% | 6.2% | 2.1 | 15.1% | 9.5% | 1.6 |
| 45–64 | 34.9% | 26.2% | 1.3 | 43.0% | 35.8% | 1.2 |
| 65+ | 47.2% | 42.0% | 1.1 | 56.4% | 56.1% | 1.0 |
- Age-adjusted, female veterans had more arthritis than male veterans (30.5% vs 25.2%).
- Disability: among men with any of six disability types (hearing, vision, cognitive, mobility, self-care, independent living), veterans had more arthritis than nonveterans; among women, in five of the six.
- Insurance: veterans with employer or union coverage had the lowest age-adjusted prevalence (women 23.5%, men 21.2%), compared with Medicare and Medigap (37.0%, 38.1%), Medicaid or other state coverage (39.9%, 27.5%), and TRICARE / VA / military insurance (34.7%, 31.1%).
By state (age-adjusted):
- Male veterans: from 18.1% in DC to 35.8% in West Virginia (median 25.5%).
- Female veterans: from 21.8% in Hawaii to 39.3% in Arkansas (median 31.2%).
- The highest rates cluster in southern and Appalachian states. Eight states were in the top quarter for both sexes: Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee and West Virginia.
Age-standardized arthritis prevalence among male (A) and female (B) veterans, by state, 2017–2021. CDC.
What it means
- Younger veterans may live longer with arthritis — and with lost work and wages. A 2013 analysis found adults 18–64 with arthritis earned 9% ($3,361) less a year than those without.
- That makes younger veterans, women veterans, veterans 65 and older and veterans with disabilities priorities for prevention.
- CDC-recognized arthritis-appropriate evidence-based interventions — free or low-cost physical activity and self-management programs offered in communities — improve arthritis outcomes.
- Partnerships among health departments, community groups, veteran-serving organizations, providers and payers can widen equitable access, especially in the highest-prevalence states.
Limitations: self-reported data; a cross-sectional design that cannot show military service causes arthritis; no information on length or type of service; no coverage of people without phones (such as people who are homeless or incarcerated); no adjustment for differences in age, sex, race or ethnicity within the veteran population; and low response rates in some states.
Sources
Based on Elizabeth A. Fallon et al., "Arthritis Prevalence Among Veterans — United States, 2017–2021," Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; published by CDC. Its visual abstract, built on a stock photograph, is left out.
Licens: CC0 1.0 (offentligt eje) · Bearbejdet efter www.cdc.gov
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