Midlife adults with functional limitations: Comparison of adults with early- and late-onset arthritis-related disability

Background: Arthritis is the most common cause of disability among U.S. adults. Objective: This study examined how the onset of arthritis-attributable disability affects midlife individuals. Methods: Using the 2014–2015 National Health Interview Survey, this study compared three groups of midlife adults (ages 50–64): individuals without any physical limitations (n = 13,779); individuals with early-onset arthritis that has limited their functioning for more than 20 years (n = 330); and individuals suffering from late-onset arthritis-attributable disability for less than five years (n = 299), in relation to five domains in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework. Stata's SVY procedures were used for bivariate and multivariate comparisons. Results: Compared with the two groups with arthritis-attributable disability, midlife adults without disability were more likely to be married, college educated, high income, and employed. They also reported considerably lower levels of financial worries, barriers to healthcare access, and psychological distress (p <.05). However, although midlife adults with arthritis-attributable disability in both groups displayed similar vulnerability in all domains, the two groups were different in significant ways. For example, compared with those with early-onset disability, midlife adults with late-onset arthritis-related disability were more likely to worry about their finances in general, while they experienced lower levels of social participation restrictions and activity limitations in some functioning areas (p <.05). Conclusions: This study clearly indicates how experiencing arthritis-attributable disability on top of aging is challenging for midlife adults and how considering the onset of disability is important for practitioners and researchers.