Inactivity-associated medical costs among US adults with arthritis

Objective. To analyze direct medical costs among US adults with arthritis a nd estimate the proportion associated with inactivity. Methods. In the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey, arthritis was def ined using questions on self-reported, doctor-diagnosed arthritis or rheuma tism. Physical activity was defined using a self-report question on level o f activity. Inactivity-associated medical costs were derived by subtracting costs for active adults from costs for inactive adults after controlling f or functional limitation. Results. Among 5,486 adults with arthritis, inactive persons had higher med ical costs than did active persons in all demographic groups examined. In m ultivariate models adjusting for key covariates, the proportion of costs as sociated with inactivity averaged 12.4% ($1,250 in 2000 dollars) and ranged from 7.8% to 14.3% among various demographic groups. Conclusion. Inactivity-associated medical costs among persons with arthriti s are considerable. Physical activity interventions may be a cost-effective strategy for reducing the burden of arthritis.