THU0219 Prevalence of Joint Pain and Self-Reported Osteoarthritis in British Columbia, Canada
Authors: J.A. Kopec, A. Heath, E.C. Sayre, J. Cibere, L.C. Li, C.A. Marra, R.R. Liu, J.M. Esdaile
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2014)

<h3>Background</h3> Survey data provide important information on the prevalence of chronic conditions across different areas and population groups. In Canada, large national surveys routinely ask about physician-diagnosed arthritis. However, population data on osteoarthritis (OA) are limited, and there is virtually no information on self-reported, physician-diagnosed osteoarthritis of specific joints. <h3>Objectives</h3> The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of joint symptoms and self-reported, health professional diagnosed OA of different joints in a representative community sample of adults in the province of British Columbia (BC), Canada. <h3>Methods</h3> We carried out a mixed-method (mail and online) survey. A random sample of households was selected from a list of all residential addresses in BC. A variety of incentives were used to maximize response rates. One randomly selected person age 18+ per household was asked to complete the survey. We asked about joint pain or discomfort (using a homunculus) and a health professional diagnosis of OA in the knee, hip, hand, foot/ankle, lower back, and neck. In addition, demographic, general health, and healthcare utilization information was collected. <h3>Results</h3> Survey invitation letters were mailed to 7759 households and 2233 individuals completed an online (1778, 79.6%) or mailed (455, 20.4%) questionnaire. Of those, 45.8% were men, 38.8% were age 60+ and 19.9% were obese (BMI 30+). Joint pain/discomfort was reported by the following proportions of respondents: lower back - 48.8%, neck - 38.7%, knee - 34.7%, foot/ankle - 30.8%, hand - 30.5%, and hip - 24.2%. Joint pain/discomfort in the hand, hip and knee was more common on the right side, while foot pain was symmetrically distributed. Both sides were most often affected in the hands (51%) and least often in the hips (39%) and knees (40%). The most common site of OA was the knee - 10.1%, followed by lower back - 8.5%, neck - 5.5%, hand - 5.4%, hip - 4.2%, and foot - 3.1%. OA prevalence in any joint was 20.9% (15.7% if back/neck is excluded). OA prevalence was 12.2% when the diagnosis was restricted to those reporting any arthritis diagnosed by a health professional. The average age of OA diagnosis ranged from 52.4 years for the neck to 56.6 for the hip. Among those with OA, 43.4% (9.1% of all respondents) reported OA in multiple joint sites; 4.9% had OA in two sites, 2.4% in 3, and 1.7% in 4 or more. OA in one site was a strong predictor of OA in other sites. The strongest relationship was between hand and foot OA (odds ratio 25). In a multivariable logistic model older age and female sex were associated with higher OA prevalence, while education and income were not. <h3>Conclusions</h3> This is one of the first population surveys in Canada to report joint-specific prevalence of pain and self-reported health professional diagnosed OA in a large, geographically defined population. The most common OA site was the knee, but OA in the hand, hip and foot/ankle was also common. More than 40% had OA in multiple sites. Prevalence of OA in population surveys may be underestimated if the question about OA is asked only of those who report any arthritis. <h3>Disclosure of Interest</h3> : None declared <h3>DOI</h3> 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.2300