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Cited by 357Chronic Disease Management StrategiesHealth and Medical StudiesHealthcare Policy and Management

Seven chronic conditions: their impact on US adults' activity levels and use of medical services

Verbrugge, L M, Patrick, D L·1995·American Journal of Public Health
DOI 10.2105/ajph.85.2.173
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Abstract

OBJECTIVES. This paper analyzes the impact of seven chronic conditions (three nonfatal: arthritis, visual impairment, hearing impairment; four fatal: ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, malignant neoplasms) on US adults aged 18 and older. Impact refers to how readily a condition prompts activity limitations, physician visits, and hospital stays. METHODS. Data come from three national health surveys and vital statistics. For comparability, a single disease classification scheme was applied, and new rates were estimated. Frequency, impact, and prominence of the target conditions are studied via rates, ratios of rates, and ranks, respectively. RESULTS. In young adulthood, the nonfatal conditions prompt limitations less readily than do the fatal ones, but by older ages, arthritis and visual impairment have a limiting impact equivalent to that of fatal conditions. Despite high prevalence and limitations, nonfatal conditions stand well below fatal conditions for health services use. CONCLUSIONS. Although statistics on frequency, impact, and prominence all indicate conditions "importance," they give only weak clues about specific service needs of affected persons. The persistent finding that nonfatal conditions do not receive health services care commensurate with their prevalence and impact reflects long-standing imbalanced attention on fatal conditions in research and medical care.

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  • Musculoskeletal disorders and major depressive episode are associated with the highest levels of disability at the individual level among commonly occurring disorders; major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder are the mental disorders most often rated severely impairing in both developed and developing countries; none of the physical disorders considered had impairment levels as high as major

    “MDE was included in a number of these studies and the results typically showed that musculoskeletal disorders and MDE were associated with the highest levels of disability at the individual level among all commonly occurring disorders assessed. The most compelling study of this sort outside the US was based on fifteen national surveys carried out as part of the WMH surveys.82 Disorder-specific dis”

    From The Costs of Depression (2012) · cites this paper as [80]

  • Even if depression is more a consequence than a cause of chronic physical disorders, as it appears to be for some disorders, comorbid depression is often associated with a worse course of the physical disorder.

    “Second, even if depression is more a consequence than a cause of chronic physical disorders, as it appears to be for some disorders, comorbid depression is often associated with a worse course of the physical disorder. 187-190”

    From Time for united action on depression: a Lancet–World Psychiatric Association Commission (2022) · cites this paper as [187]

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Authors
Verbrugge, L. M., & Patrick, D. L.
Affiliations
University of Michigan (US)
ORCID
Patrick, D L
Venue
American Journal of Public Health
Publisher
American Public Health Association
Published
1995-02
Volume
85
Issue
2
Pages
173-182
ISSN
  • 0090-0036 (ISSN-L)
  • 1541-0048
DOI
10.2105/ajph.85.2.173
OpenAlex
W2121521872
Cited by
356
References
25
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 13
FWCI
14.82
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • American Journal of Public Health (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Chronic Disease Management Strategies
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health and Medical Studies
  • Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Healthcare Policy and Management
Keywords
chronic disease, activity limitation, health care utilization, physician visits, length of hospital stay, arthritis, visual impairment, hearing loss, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, cancer, health care disparities
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aging, Chronic Disease, Physical Exertion, Female, Health Services, Health Surveys, Hospitalization, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Sex Factors, United States, Prevalence

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