Abstract
Purpose: Weight loss is advantageous for individuals with obesity and arthritis. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine if there are differences by rural-urban status among older adults with these conditions who reported being advised by a health care provider to lose weight for arthritis or to ameliorate arthritis symptoms. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. Respondents reported if they had been diagnosed with arthritis and if they received a provider weight loss recommendation (WLR). The analytic sample was limited to older adults aged 60–79 living in the five states that administered the examined BRFSS arthritis module who had body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2 and reported having arthritis (n = 2920). The respondent’s county of residence was linked to the corresponding county-level population density from the US Decennial Census to determine rural-urban status. A generalized linear model examined the association between receipt of a WLR and population density, controlling for demographics. Results: The sample was 83.6% white, 57.8% female, and 63.2% received a WLR. Respondents from more urban counties were more likely to receive a WLR (p value for trend <0.001). Additionally, older respondents, men, individuals with less than a high school education, and whites had a decreased likelihood of receiving a WLR. Conclusions: The analysis identified notable rural-urban differences with respondents in more urban counties being more likely to receive a WLR. Furthermore, there were differences in those who received a WLR by age, sex, and education. Reasons for these differences should be explored.
Highlights
The United States (US) population is aging and it is estimated that one in five US adults will be 65 or older by 2030
The analysis identified notable rural-urban differences with respondents in more urban counties being more likely to receive a weight loss recommendation (WLR)
The current study identified rural-urban differences in receipt of a WLR for older adults who have arthritis and obesity, with respondents living in more urban counties being more likely to have received a WLR from a healthcare provider
Summary
The United States (US) population is aging and it is estimated that one in five US adults will be 65 or older by 2030. An estimated 41.0% of US adults aged 60+ are overweight or have obesity [1], making prevention and reducing obesity a critical public health issue. Obesity is an underlying cause of numerous health issues across the lifespan [2], including arthritis [3,4,5,6]. Due to the increasing aging population and rising obesity rates, it is projected that 78.4 million US adults will have arthritis by. 2040 [7], and this will likely decrease quality of life, increase rates of disability and the use of nursing home care, and have significant financial impacts on medical expenditures [5,8]. Obesity has increased among older adults with arthritis. Barbour and colleagues’ analysis of the 2009–2014 National Health
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