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.
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.
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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
Self-management programs are health education classes or programs proven to help people learn about their chronic condition, manage or reduce symptoms, reduce stress and get support to take charge of their health. They are also sometimes called lifestyle change programs and are offered online and in-person in communities throughout Oregon. Go to Oregon Health Authority’s Health Education Classes and Self-Management Program page to find a class.
Related resources