Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The vast majority of published estimates of osteoarthritis (OA) burden are based on an OA diagnosis. These data are limited, as individuals often do not visit a physician until their symptoms are moderate to severe. This study compared individuals with an OA diagnosis to those with OA joint symptoms but without a diagnosis considering a number of sociodemographic and health characteristics. A further distinction was made between individuals with symptoms in one joint site and those with symptoms in multiple joint sites. METHODS: Data are from 23 186 respondents aged 45 to 85 years from the first cycle of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. A multinomial logistic regression model examined the relationship between sociodemographic- and health-related characteristics and OA status (diagnosed OA, joint symptoms without OA, no OA or joint symptoms). In addition, logistic regression models assessed the relationship between OA status and usually experiencing pain and having some degree of functional limitation. RESULTS: Twenty-one percent of respondents reported a diagnosis of OA, and 25% reported symptoms typical of OA but without an OA diagnosis. Other than being slightly younger, the characteristic profile of individuals with symptoms in two or more joint sites was indistinguishable from that of those with diagnosed OA. CONCLUSION: It may be warranted to consider OA-like multiple joint symptoms when deriving estimates of OA-attributed population health and cost burden.