Tooele County is the third highest in the state for arthritis, according to a recent state report.
The report states 26.1 percent of adults in Tooele County have arthritis. Only two other health districts have a higher rate: southeastern Utah at 28.8 percent and central Utah at 27.5 percent. The state arthritis rate is 20.1 percent.
The Southeastern Utah Health District includes Carbon, Emery and Grand counties. The Central Utah Health District includes Juab, Millard, Sanpete, Wayne, Sevier and Piute counties.
But if the rates are adjusted for age, the arthritis rate in Tooele County becomes the second highest in the state, just behind central Utah, said Jeff Coombs, director of Tooele County Health Department.
“It’s really a more accurate (result) if you’re accounting for age,” he said.
Tooele County also has several risk factors the Utah Department of Health identified for arthritis, which may explain why its arthritis rate is so high, Coombs said.
“We can assume some things based on the risk factors,” he said.
According to Coombs, some of the risk factors for arthritis found in Tooele County include weight, obesity, activity level, education level and ethnicity.
Among adults without arthritis, 43.5 percent were at an ideal weight. Among adults with arthritis, 33.6 percent were overweight and 37.7 percent were obese. In addition, 23.3 percent of adults with arthritis said they weren’t physically active, the report states.
“We know that Tooele has a high incident rate of obesity and being overweight,” Coombs said. “It’s going to make us more susceptible. … In our county, we are less active than the rest of the state on average.”
In the education risk factor, state researchers found 18.8 percent of people with arthritis were college graduates, while 26.5 percent had a high school diploma or GED.
Again, Tooele’s higher education rate is lower than the state rate, Coombs said.
“My comment on that is, if you have a college degree, you’re probably doing things like we’re doing — you end up in office work,” he said. “Those without, you’re probably more likely to be in a blue collar profession where you’re using your limbs. You’re using your hands and legs, and because of that, you’re probably at a higher risk of arthritis.”
Finally, the state report found 21.7 percent of adults with arthritis were white and non-Hispanic/Latino; 15.8 percent of adults with arthritis were non-white and non-Hispanic/Latino; and 10.7 percent of adults with arthritis were Hispanic/Latino.
“Our population, again, is high Caucasian,” Coombs said. “We’re at 94 percent, and the state average is 90. So you can see where we hit on a lot of the high risk factors.”
For people who suffer from arthritis, Coombs wanted people to know medical treatment is available, and that healthy habits can help alleviate their pain.
“‘Ultimately, adults with arthritis should learn about treatment options, attend self-management programs, participate in regular physical activity, and maintain appropriate body weight to relieve their symptoms,’” he quoted from the report.
Amy Bate, public information officer for the county health department, said the county offers several classes and programs that could help address the prevalence of arthritis in Tooele County. Last year, the county received a federal EPICC grant, which it is using solely to promote healthy living.
According to the Utah Health Department, the EPICC program aims to promote healthy living through Environment, Policy, and Improved Clinical Care.
“We’re trying to change the environment, put policies in place and work with the community to know what resources are available,” Bate said. “For instance, we’re working to get more walking trails and biking trails in place to get people more active. … That’s really why the Live Fit Coalition was developed, because we’re wanting to change the community to become healthier with these different initiatives that focus on physical activity and nutrition.”
In addition to the programs organized by Live Fit, the county offers several free classes to the public. One class, “Living Well with Chronic Conditions,” specifically addresses arthritis.
Three of the other classes are specific to diabetes while the final class is about fall prevention, but Bate said taking those classes could also help people with arthritis.
“Really, if you have arthritis and you’re in pain from walking, your balance and your strength are going to be off, and you’re going to be more at risk of falling, so the ‘Stepping On’ class can help with that,” she said. “If you’re obese, you may have issues with diabetes and we know that obesity contributes to arthritis, so I think all of these can help the community.”
She added, “We don’t have great participation and we really want the community to know about these resources. … And it’s not only for the person with the condition, it can also be for their caregiver.”
The schedule differs for each class. More information is available at tooelehealth.org.
The Utah Department of Health used data from 2013 and 2014 to determine risk factors for arthritis. It also studied the prevalence of arthritis within specific demographic groups, such as sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, physical activity, health status, and weight category.