ATLANTA, April 30 (UPI) -- An estimated 1 in 5 U.S. adults -- 47.5 million people -- report a disability, an increase from 3.4 million from1999 to 2005, U.S. health officials said.
The three most common causes of disability among U.S. adults in the United States are arthritis or rheumatism, back or spine problems and heart disease.
"It is likely we will see more dramatic increases in the number of adults with a disability as the baby boomer population begins to enter higher risk, older age groups over the next 20 years," study co-author Dr. Chad Helmick, a CDC medical epidemiologist, said in a statement.
"CDC is working with state health departments and communities to expand the availability of self-management education programs and interventions, such as appropriate physical activity programs, that can reduce the impact of disability."
The study of data collected from the U.S. Census Bureau's Survey of Income and Program Participation found that 24.4 percent of women have a higher prevalence of disability compared with men at 19.9 percent. The study also found that disability prevalence doubled for each successive age group -- 11 percent for ages 18-44, 23.9 percent for ages 45-64 and 51.8 percent for people age 65 or older.
Arthritis encompasses more than 100 diseases and conditions that affect joints and other connective tissue.
