WVU in the News: A state-by-state look at how many inactive people with arthritis could benefit psychologically from exercise
In the United States, arthritis is a common and widespread chronic condition and a leading cause of disability. Physical inactivity is a major health problem nationwide as well. A regular exercise program has been shown to have a wide variety of health benefits, but the state-specific data are sparse or not available.
In a study published in ACR Open Rheumatology, George Kelley and colleagues used number-needed-to-treat data from two prior meta-analyses -- recent state-level prevalence estimates on arthritis and physical inactivity in adults with arthritis and other rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, and state-level 2010 U.S. Census population data -- to estimate the state-level numbers of physically inactive adults with arthritis and other rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases who could improve their anxiety and depression by starting and maintaining a regular exercise program.