Developing arthritis increases a person’s risk of falling into poverty, especially for women, according to a study published online ahead of print September 8 in Arthritis & Rheumatology.
For this study of more than 4,000 Australian adults, females who developed arthritis were 51% more likely to fall into income poverty than nonarthritic women. In men, having arthritis was associated with a 22% increased risk of poverty.
Women with arthritis also were 87% more likely to fall into “multidimensional poverty,” which includes income, health, and education attainment, while the arthritis-related risk in men was 29%. The investigators noted that given the high prevalence of arthritis, the condition is an overlooked driver of poverty.
“With population ageing occurring in most of the developed nations around the world, health conditions such as arthritis will become increasingly common. That developing arthritis has such a pronounced impact on the risk of falling into poverty should flag to policy makers in welfare departments the influence of the condition on national living standards,” said lead author Emily Callander, PhD, from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Sydney in Australia.
Emily Callander, PhD
Researchers utilized survey data from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. Survival analysis using Cox regression models were applied to the nationally representative, longitudinal data between the years 2007 and 2012 for Australian adults ages 21 and older.
The hazard ratio for falling into income poverty for females who develop arthritis was 1.51, and for males the hazard ratio for falling into income poverty was 1.22, compared with people who never developed arthritis. The hazard ratio for falling into multidimensional poverty for females who develop arthritis was 1.87 and for males the hazard ratio was 1.29.
According to Dr. Callander, “The high risk of poverty should be kept in mind by clinicians seeking the most appropriate treatment for their patients with arthritis, as affordability of out-of-pocket costs may be an important factor.”