Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis in Australia. Estimates from the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2011–12 Australian Health Survey suggest that about 1.8 million Australians (8% of the population) have osteoarthritis.
Detailed information provided below is based on the 2007–08 National Health Survey. This will be updated to 2011–12 estimates after analysis files are released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in 2013.
Prevalence and incidence
Prevalence: The number or proportion (of cases, instances, and so forth) in a population at a given time.
Incidence: The number of new cases (of an illness or event, and so on) occurring during a given period.
Osteoarthritis is more common in females than males. Nearly 38% of women aged 75 years and over have osteoarthritis compared to 23% of men.
The prevalence of osteoarthritis rises with age. While relatively few younger people have it, after the age of 45 the prevalence rises sharply.
There has been little change in the overall prevalence of osteoarthritis over the last four health surveys (2001, 2004–05, 2007–08, and 2011–12).
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were less likely than non-Indigenous people to report having osteoarthritis [1]. This may be because Indigenous Australians have a younger age-profile than other Australians, with lower proportions of the population in the older age groups which are most affected by osteoarthritis.
Remoteness
The prevalence of osteoarthritis is the same in major cities, inner regional, and other areas.
Socioeconomic status
The prevalence of osteoarthritis does not vary by socioeconomic status.
Source tables
Table 1: Prevalence of osteoarthritis by age and sex, 2007–08
| Age group |
Males
Per cent (a) |
Males
95% CI (b) |
Females
Per cent |
Females
95% CI |
Persons
Per cent |
Persons
95% CI |
| 0–14 |
0.0 |
0.0–0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0–0.1 |
0.0 |
0.0–0.1 |
| 15–24 |
0.6 |
0.1–1.2 |
1.1 |
0.1–2.3 |
0.8 |
0.1–1.5 |
| 25–34 |
1.3 |
0.5–2.0 |
1.9 |
0.9–2.9 |
1.6 |
0.9–2.3 |
| 35–44 |
3.5 |
2.3–4.6 |
3.3 |
2.3–4.3 |
3.4 |
2.6–4.2 |
| 45–54 |
7.2 |
5.1–9.4 |
10.3 |
8.4–12.2 |
8.8 |
7.4–10.2 |
| 55–64 |
15.4 |
12.7–18.0 |
25.3 |
23.0–27.6 |
20.4 |
18.5–22.2 |
| 65–74 |
17.7 |
14.5–20.9 |
29.2 |
25.4–32.9 |
23.6 |
20.8–26.3 |
| 75+ |
23.1 |
18.5–27.7 |
38.9 |
34.5–43.2 |
32.0 |
28.8–35.2 |
| All ages |
5.8 |
5.2–6.3 |
8.9 |
8.4–9.5 |
7.8 |
7.0–7.8 |
Notes:
1. Total was age standardised to the Australian population as at 30 June 2001.
2. Shows the lower and upper limits of confidence interval. We can be 95% confident that the true value is within this interval.
Source: AIHW analysis of ABS National Health Survey, 2007–08.
Table 2: Change in the prevalence of osteoarthritis, 2001 to 2011–12
|
Males |
Females |
Persons |
| 2001 NHS |
5.7 |
9.2 |
7.5 |
| 2004–05 NHS |
6.1 |
9.0 |
7.7 |
| 2007–08 NHS |
5.8 |
9.0 |
7.8 |
| 2011–12 AHS |
5.6 |
10.9 |
8.3 |
Notes:
1. 2001, 2004–05 and 2007–08 rates are age standardised to the Australian population as at June 2001.
2. 2011–12 rate is the crude rate.
Source: AIHW analysis of ABS 2001, 2004–05, 2007–08 National Health Surveys and 2011–12 Australian Health Survey.
Table 3: Prevalence of osteoarthritis by Indigenous status, 2004–05
|
ASR (a) |
95% CI (b) |
Rate ratio (c) |
| Indigenous |
2.4 |
2.4–2.5 |
0.4 |
| Non-Indigenous |
6.6 |
6.6–6.6 |
|
Notes:
a. Directly age standardised to the Australian population as at 2001.
b. Shows the lower and upper limits of confidence interval. We can be 95% confident that the true value is within this interval.
c. Ratio of the Indigenous rate to the non-Indigenous rate.
Source: AIHW analysis of ABS National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey, 2004–05.
Reference
- 2004–05 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS).