Trends in prevalence of arthritis by race among adults in the United States, 2011-2018

Background There is currently a lack of comprehensive prevalence information on arthritis and its various classifications among adults in the U.S., particularly given the notable absence of detailed data regarding the Asian population. We examined the trends in the prevalence of arthritis, including osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and other types of arthritis, among U.S. adults by race between 2011 and 2018. Methods We analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), spanning from 2011 to 2018. Our study focused on a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults aged 20 and older. Participants who answered "y es" to the research question "Doctors ever said you had arthritis?" were classified as having arthritis. Further classification into specific diseases was based on responses to the question "Which type of arthritis was it?" with options including "OA or degenerative arthritis, " "RA, " "PsA, " or "Other. " Results We analyzed 22,566 participants from NHANES (2011-2018), averaging 44.8 years, including 10,927 males. The overall arthritis prevalence rose significantly from 22.98% (95% CI: 21.47-24.55%) in 2011-12 to 27.95% (95% CI: 26.20-29.76%) in 2017-18 (P for trend < 0.001). OA increased from 12.02% (95% CI: 10.82-13.35%) in 2011 to 14.93% (95% CI: 13.47-16.51%) in 2018 (P for trend < 0.001). RA and PsA remained stable (P for trend = 0.220 and 0.849, respectively), while other arthritis rose from 2.03% (95% CI: 1.54-2.67%) in 2011-12 to 3.14% (95% CI: 2.56-3.86%) in 2017-18 (P for trend = 0.001). In Whites, Asians, and other races , arthritis and RA prevalence increased significantly (P for trend < 0.05). OA and other arthritis rose in Whites and other races (P for trend < 0.05), but no significant change occurred in the black population. The prevalence of PsA remained stable across all racial groups, with no statistically significant changes. Conclusions In this nationally representative U.S. adult survey spanning 2011 to 2018, we identified a rising prevalence trend in arthritis, OA, and other arthritis, with notable variations among different racial groups.