Harrison
05-21-2009, 10:52 AM
As if we didn't already appreciate the gravity of this issue -- being the most unorganized, unrepresented minority (majority?!) in America! I hope the non-profit can improve this situation!
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Arthritis and back problems main causes of disability in U.S. adults
May 2009
Arthritis (http://www.orthosupersite.com/sectionContent.asp?sid=45) or rheumatism and back or spine problems (http://www.orthosupersite.com/searchResults.asp?condition222=any&searchStr=spine+problems&condition=phrase&x=24&y=20) were the two leading causes of disability reported by adult Americans in 2005, topping a report the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released on the prevalence and causes of disability in adults.
These two causes of disability, along with heart trouble, which was cited as the third most disabling condition, contributed to an overall 21.8% national disability rate that affected an estimated 47.5 million people in 2005.
“Women (24.4%) had a significantly higher prevalence of disability compared with men (19.1%) at all ages,” according to the findings published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
Authors of the report determined that arthritis or rheumatism affected 8.6 million people, or 19.0% of the estimated population, and was the most reported cause of disability among women, affecting 24.3% of women.
Back or spine problems affected 7.6 million adults, or 16.3% of the estimated population. More men than women considered back or spine problems the chief cause of their disability, which accounted for 16.9% of reported disability in men.
The 2005 overall disability rate was unchanged from the one calculated in 1999 (22.0%), which was determined using the same type of subjects and sampling method. However, “Particularly in the large group born during 1946-1964 (ie, the baby boomers), the estimated absolute number of persons reporting a disability increased 7.7%, from 44.1 to 47.5 million,” authors of the report wrote.
The disability report was produced from cross-sectional findings derived from an analysis the CDC and U.S Census Bureau conducted of data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), a longitudinal panel survey that included men and women volunteers aged 18 years and older. It excluded individuals in institutions.
MMWR editors cited some limitations in the report, saying exclusion of institutionalized persons yielded conservative estimates, particularly in those 65 years of age and older who are more likely to reside in institutions.
Furthermore, SIPP survey data were likely subject to sampling and non-sampling errors that were hard to control for. There was also no way to ensure all survey participants used the same definition of disability, they said.
Reference:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevalence and most common causes of disability among adults — United States, 2005. 2009;58:421-426.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5816a2.htm (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5816a2.htm)
Courtesy: Orthosupersite
______________________________________
Arthritis and back problems main causes of disability in U.S. adults
May 2009
Arthritis (http://www.orthosupersite.com/sectionContent.asp?sid=45) or rheumatism and back or spine problems (http://www.orthosupersite.com/searchResults.asp?condition222=any&searchStr=spine+problems&condition=phrase&x=24&y=20) were the two leading causes of disability reported by adult Americans in 2005, topping a report the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released on the prevalence and causes of disability in adults.
These two causes of disability, along with heart trouble, which was cited as the third most disabling condition, contributed to an overall 21.8% national disability rate that affected an estimated 47.5 million people in 2005.
“Women (24.4%) had a significantly higher prevalence of disability compared with men (19.1%) at all ages,” according to the findings published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
Authors of the report determined that arthritis or rheumatism affected 8.6 million people, or 19.0% of the estimated population, and was the most reported cause of disability among women, affecting 24.3% of women.
Back or spine problems affected 7.6 million adults, or 16.3% of the estimated population. More men than women considered back or spine problems the chief cause of their disability, which accounted for 16.9% of reported disability in men.
The 2005 overall disability rate was unchanged from the one calculated in 1999 (22.0%), which was determined using the same type of subjects and sampling method. However, “Particularly in the large group born during 1946-1964 (ie, the baby boomers), the estimated absolute number of persons reporting a disability increased 7.7%, from 44.1 to 47.5 million,” authors of the report wrote.
The disability report was produced from cross-sectional findings derived from an analysis the CDC and U.S Census Bureau conducted of data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), a longitudinal panel survey that included men and women volunteers aged 18 years and older. It excluded individuals in institutions.
MMWR editors cited some limitations in the report, saying exclusion of institutionalized persons yielded conservative estimates, particularly in those 65 years of age and older who are more likely to reside in institutions.
Furthermore, SIPP survey data were likely subject to sampling and non-sampling errors that were hard to control for. There was also no way to ensure all survey participants used the same definition of disability, they said.
Reference:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevalence and most common causes of disability among adults — United States, 2005. 2009;58:421-426.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5816a2.htm (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5816a2.htm)
Courtesy: Orthosupersite