Physical Activity and Arthritis Research

The current high rate of inactivity in the arthritis community has serious implications for public health and the health care system in West Virginia. Thus, a multidisciplinary team of researchers at WVU with expertise in physical activity, arthritis, community-based research, orthopaedics, rural health, gerontology, epidemiology, statistics, physical therapy, and public health has been assembled to address those needs.

The researchers are examining the outcomes of current exercise programs and researching the possible benefits of expanding the type and number of programs that are available across the state. Increasing activity in the arthritis population could potentially curtail the associated medical costs, which continue to increase. Providing greater access to physical activity programming for adults in West Virginia with arthritis could help reduce health disparities in the state and, perhaps, establish a program delivery model for other rural states to adopt.