Impact of Arthritis and Multiple Chronic Conditions on Selected Life Domains — United States, 2013

About half of U.S. adults have at least one chronic health condition, and the prevalence of multiple (two or more) chronic conditions increased from 21.8% in 2001 to 25.5% in 2012. Chronic conditions profoundly affect quality of life, are leading causes of death and disability, and account for 86% of total health care spending. Arthritis is a common cause of disability, one of the most common chronic conditions, and is included in prevalent combinations of multiple chronic conditions. To determine the impact of having arthritis alone or as one of multiple chronic conditions on selected important life domains, CDC analyzed data from the 2013 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Having one or more chronic conditions was associated with significant and progressively higher prevalences of social participation restriction, serious psychological distress, and work limitations. Adults with arthritis as one of their multiple chronic conditions had higher prevalences of adverse outcomes on all three life domains compared with those with multiple chronic conditions but without arthritis. The high prevalence of arthritis, its common co-occurrence with other chronic conditions, and its significant adverse effect on life domains suggest the importance of considering arthritis in discussions addressing the effect of multiple chronic conditions and interventions needed to reduce that impact among researchers, health care providers, and policy makers.