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Oregon Arthritis Program

Working to Reduce the Impact of Arthritis in Oregon

Arthritis is the most common cause of disability in the United States and in Oregon. An estimated one in five people report having doctor-diagnosed arthritis.

In Oregon, doctor-diagnosed arthritis has a higher prevalence than the nation. Arthritis affects over 800,000 adults in Oregon or one in four people. More than half of them have limitations in their daily activities, such as walking short distances, stooping, bending, kneeling or climbing stairs.

Evidence shows that self-management education and physical activity programs ease arthritis pain, improve physical activity, reduce risk for falls and decrease health care costs.

The Oregon Health Authority's Arthritis Program is working in collaboration with partners in the public and private sectors to reduce the impact of arthritis in Oregon through a public health approach. The Arthritis Program helps implement programs to increase self-management behaviors and improve the quality of life for people with arthritis by increasing the awareness, availability and accessibility of evidence-based lifestyle management programs, including physical activity programs and self-management education classes.


On this page


Data on the burden of arthritis in Oregon

The latest arthritis data for Oregon adults and hospitalizations both statewide and in Oregon counties can be found at the Chronic Disease Data and Reports website.

  • Chronic Disease Data – The Oregon Chronic Disease Data Portal contains Oregon data for chronic conditions such as cancer, arthritis and heart disease. Users can customize their search to display the data by various demographics, such as by sex, age and ethnicity.

Below are Oregon Public Health Authority, Public Health Division publications related to arthritis:


Programs and classes

  • Living Well Workshops – Living Well and a variety of other chronic disease self-management programs are available in many counties in Oregon. These classes byui8ld confidence in participant’s ability to manage their health and maintain active and fulfilling lives.
  • Walk With Ease Program – Walk With Ease is an exercise program that can reduce pain and improve overall health for people with arthritis.
  • EnhanceFitness Program – EnhanceFitness is a group exercise and falls prevention program that helps older adults at all levels of fitness become more active, energized and empowered to sustain independent lives.

To search for one of these programs near you, please click on the button below. PLEASE NOTE: This link will take you to an external site, Compass by QTAC-NY, to search for a workshop in Oregon.

Find a Workshop


Increasing Walkability

Connecting People to Parks: A Toolkit to Increase Safe and Equitable Access to Local Parks and Green Spaces - This toolkit includes step-by-step guidance through the Safe Routes to Parks framework to increase walkability and safe and equitable access to parks and green spaces. 

This toolkit was developed specifically for communities in Oregon, however, people from all over the country and backgrounds can benefit from the tools and guidance herein. It focuses on access to parks via active transportation as well as ensuring a high-quality, safe experience within the park itself. As you work through this toolkit, you can expect to learn how to thoughtfully engage your community, assess barriers to safe and equitable park access, identify goals and take meaningful action steps, and consider how to sustain your ongoing Safe Routes to Parks efforts. 

Technical assistance is available if your organization is interested in increasing walkability and safe access to parks. Please find out more about the technical assistance opportunity HERE. If interested, please reach out to Becky Gilliam, Safe Routes Partnership Program Manager, at becky@saferoutespartnership.org.
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