Factors influencing self-reported perceived health among United States adults with arthritis: A cross-sectional study

Limited knowledge exists of how various characteristics contribute to perceived health among the millions of United States (U.S.) adults with arthritis. This study explored the relationship between various factors and the perceived health of U.S. adults with arthritis. U.S. adults (18 years or older) alive (throughout 2021) and self-reporting a diagnosis of arthritis in the 2021 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data were included in this study. Multivariable logistic regression was applied to determine the associations between independent variables (age, sex, race, ethnicity, education, employment, marriage, income, insurance, pain, chronic conditions, functional limitations, physical activity, smoking, region) and good versus poor perceived health, accounting for the complex survey design and weighting to reflect the U.S. population. Statistical significance was set at P < .05. The study included 5108 eligible participants (74.4% good health, 25.6% poor health). Factors associated with good perceived health included age ≥ 70 years (odds ratio [OR] = 3.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.0-6.2) and age 60 to 69 years (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.2-3.5) versus age 18 to 39, females versus males (OR = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.0-1.5), white versus multiple races (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.2-3.3), employed versus unemployed (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.5-2.7), high versus low income (OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.0-1.7), little/moderate versus quite a bit/extreme pain (OR = 3.7, 95% CI = 3.0-4.7), <2 versus ≥ 2 chronic conditions (OR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.1-1.8), no functional limitations versus functional limitations (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.6-2.5), and regular versus no regular physical activity (OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.7-2.9). This study identified several factors that could be targeted to better manage and prevent arthritis in U.S. adults and improve perceived health.