Citation

MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. 2013; 62(17): 331-334.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, (in public domain), Publisher U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

23636026

Abstract

Walking contributes to total physical activity and is an appropriate activity to increase overall physical activity levels among adults with arthritis. Walking also is the most preferred exercise among arthritis patients and has been shown to improve arthritis symptoms, physical function, gait speed, and quality of life. To estimate the distribution of average weekly minutes of walking among adults with arthritis by state and map the prevalence of low amounts of walking (<90 minutes per week) among adults with arthritis, CDC analyzed data from the 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). This report describes the results of that analysis, which indicated that among adults with arthritis in the 50 states and the District of Columbia (DC), the median prevalence of walking was 53% (range: 44.3%-66.2%) for 0 minutes per week, 13.1% (range: 9.3%-16.2%) for 1-89 minutes per week, 5.3% (range: 3.2%-6.8%) for 90-119 minutes per week, 5.6% (range: 2.6%-8.3%) for 120-149 minutes per week, and 23.2% (range: 16.0%-30.6%) for ≥150 minutes per week. A state median of 66% of adults with arthritis walked <90 minutes per week, ranging from a low of 58.0% in California to a high of 76.2% in Tennessee. The large number of persons with arthritis who are not getting the full benefit of regular walking might benefit from community interventions aimed at increasing access to walking as well as specific programs that offer social support.

Language: en