Prevalence of leisure-time physical activity among persons with arthritis and other rheumatic conditions--United States, 1990-1991.

Although regular physical activity is associated with important physical and mental health benefits, an estimated 53 million U.S. adults are inactive during their leisure time--the period most amenable to efforts to increase physical activity. The presence of chronic conditions, especially those associated with disabilities, may reduce levels of leisure time physical activity (LTPA). Arthritis and other rheumatic conditions (e.g., osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, fibromyalgia, and other diseases of the joints) are leading causes of disability and are among the most prevalent chronic conditions in the United States, affecting approximately 40 million persons in 1995 and a projected 60 million persons in 2020. This report uses data from the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (HPDP) supplement of the 1990-1991 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to provide estimates of LTPA among persons with arthritis and other rheumatic conditions by disability status and compares these estimates with those for persons without arthritis and other rheumatic conditions. The findings indicate that the prevalence of LTPA among persons with arthritis and other rheumatic conditions is less than that among persons without arthritis and other rheumatic conditions.