{"id":7532,"date":"2023-03-08T11:17:33","date_gmt":"2023-03-08T16:17:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/avacaremedical.com\/blog\/?p=7532"},"modified":"2024-06-20T08:31:44","modified_gmt":"2024-06-20T12:31:44","slug":"mobility-disabilities-by-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.avacaremedical.com\/blog\/mobility-disabilities-by-state.html","title":{"rendered":"The State of Mobility Disabilities in the U.S."},"content":{"rendered":"

There are over 61 million people with disabilities in the United States of America. Mobility disability accounts for over 13.7% of all disabilities in the country.<\/p>\n

Mobility disabilities is an umbrella term that includes any disability that impacts a person’s ability to move or maintain their balance. These physical impairments include arthritis, paralysis, amputation, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injury. People with mobility disabilities such as these may experience difficulty walking, standing, or performing other basic physical activities. Those who find it hard to get around may require the use of mobility aids<\/a> such as walkers, wheelchairs<\/a>, scooters, or canes, while others may require daily living aids<\/a> such as dressing aids, eating aids, and grabber tools<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Key Findings<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
    \n
  1. 45-year-old adults are nearly as likely to have mobility disabilities as 65-year-olds.<\/li>\n
  2. Women are more likely to have mobility disabilities than men.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. People with low incomes are more likely to have mobility disabilities.<\/li>\n
  4. People living in rural areas are more likely to have mobility disabilities.<\/li>\n
  5. Veterans are not significantly more likely to have mobility disabilities than the average U.S. citizen.<\/li>\n
  6. People who have had cancer or have had check-ups for cancer are more likely to have mobility disabilities.<\/li>\n
  7. The number of mobility disability cases decreased from 2016 to 2020.<\/li>\n
  8. 38 states have shown a decrease in the number of mobility disability cases, while 12 states have shown an increase.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

    Age<\/h2>\n

    People above age 45 are highly likely to have mobility disabilities. This is followed by people who are above 65 years of age.<\/span><\/span> The number <\/span><\/span>of cases<\/span><\/span> between <\/span><\/span>ages 18-64 is observed to be in decline.<\/span><\/span> This <\/span><\/span>is in contrast to ages above 65, where the number of cases<\/span><\/span> is <\/span><\/span>increasing each year with a slight dip in 2020.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    According<\/span> to<\/span> the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/span> (CDC)<\/span>,<\/span> adults<\/span> aged<\/span> 45<\/span> and<\/span> over<\/span> are<\/span> at<\/span> an<\/span> increased<\/span> risk<\/span> of<\/span> experiencing<\/span> a<\/span> disability<\/span>.<\/span> The<\/span> CDC’s Disability<\/span> and<\/span> Health<\/span> Data<\/span> System<\/span> (<\/span>DH<\/span>DS<\/span>)<\/span> reported<\/span> that<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span>,<\/span> over<\/span> one<\/span>–<\/span>third<\/span> of<\/span> adults<\/span> aged<\/span> 45<\/span> and<\/span> older<\/span> have<\/span> a<\/span> mobility<\/span> disability<\/span>.<\/span> This<\/span> is<\/span> due<\/span> to<\/span> a<\/span> variety<\/span> of<\/span> factors<\/span>,<\/span> including<\/span> age<\/span>–<\/span>related<\/span> changes<\/span>,<\/span> chronic<\/span> conditions<\/span>,<\/span> and<\/span> other<\/span> factors<\/span> that<\/span> can<\/span> increase<\/span> risk<\/span> of<\/span> disability<\/span>.<\/span> Meanwhile<\/span>,<\/span> the<\/span> US<\/span> Census<\/span> reported<\/span> that<\/span> over<\/span> 50<\/span>%<\/span> of<\/span> adults<\/span> aged<\/span> 65<\/span> and<\/span> over<\/span> have<\/span> a<\/span> mobility<\/span> disability<\/span>.<\/span> These<\/span> rates<\/span> are<\/span> likely<\/span> due<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> increased<\/span> age<\/span>–<\/span>related<\/span> changes<\/span> and<\/span> chronic<\/span> conditions<\/span> that<\/span> come<\/span> with<\/span> aging<\/span>.<\/span> This<\/span> data<\/span> suggests<\/span> that<\/span> adults<\/span> aged<\/span> 45<\/span> and<\/span> over<\/span> are<\/span> almost<\/span> as<\/span> likely<\/span> to<\/span> have<\/span> a<\/span> mobility<\/span> disability<\/span> as<\/span> adults<\/span> aged<\/span> 65<\/span> and<\/span> over<\/span>,<\/span> which<\/span> is<\/span> an<\/span> important<\/span> reminder<\/span> that<\/span> adults<\/span> of<\/span> all<\/span> ages<\/span> can<\/span> be<\/span> at<\/span> risk<\/span> for<\/span> disability<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Gender<\/h2>\n

    Females are more likely to have mobility disorders than males. Nearly 60% of all people with mobility disabilities are females.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    There<\/span> are<\/span> a<\/span> few<\/span> different<\/span> factors<\/span> that<\/span> could<\/span> explain<\/span> why<\/span> more<\/span> women<\/span> have<\/span> mobility<\/span> disabilities<\/span> than<\/span> men<\/span>.<\/span> One<\/span> possible<\/span> explanation<\/span> is<\/span> that<\/span> women<\/span> typically<\/span> live<\/span> longer<\/span> than<\/span> men<\/span>,<\/span> and<\/span> age<\/span> is<\/span> a<\/span> risk<\/span> factor<\/span> for<\/span> developing<\/span> mobility<\/span> issues<\/span>.<\/span> As<\/span> people<\/span> get<\/span> older<\/span>,<\/span> they<\/span> are<\/span> more<\/span> likely<\/span> to<\/span> experience<\/span> age<\/span>–<\/span>related<\/span> conditions<\/span> like<\/span> arthritis<\/span>,<\/span> which<\/span> can<\/span> make<\/span> it<\/span> difficult<\/span> to<\/span> move<\/span> around<\/span>.<\/span> Other<\/span> health<\/span> conditions<\/span>,<\/span> such<\/span> as<\/span> diabetes and osteoporosis<\/span>,<\/span> can<\/span> also<\/span> affect<\/span> mobility<\/span>,<\/span> and<\/span> women<\/span> are<\/span> more<\/span> likely<\/span> to<\/span> suffer<\/span> from<\/span> these<\/span> conditions<\/span> than<\/span> men<\/span>.<\/span> Finally<\/span>,<\/span> women<\/span> are<\/span> more<\/span> likely<\/span> to<\/span> be<\/span> exposed<\/span> to<\/span> certain<\/span> environmental<\/span> factors<\/span> associated<\/span> with<\/span> mobility<\/span> disabilities<\/span>,<\/span> such<\/span> as<\/span> work<\/span>–<\/span>related<\/span> hazards<\/span> or<\/span> polluted<\/span> air<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Income<\/h2>\n

    It is observed that 76% of all the people with mobility disabilities have low yearly income. We\u2019ve taken income below $50,000 as low income and income above $50,000 as high income. This is in line with the poverty guidelines set by the government.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Based<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> data<\/span>,<\/span> it<\/span> is<\/span> difficult<\/span> to<\/span> determine<\/span> whether<\/span> people<\/span> with<\/span> a<\/span> low<\/span> income<\/span> are<\/span> more<\/span> likely<\/span> to<\/span> become<\/span> disabled<\/span> due<\/span> to<\/span> poverty<\/span> or<\/span> if<\/span> people<\/span> who<\/span> are<\/span> disabled<\/span> are<\/span> more<\/span> likely<\/span> to<\/span> have<\/span> a<\/span> lower<\/span> income<\/span> due<\/span> to<\/span> their<\/span> disability<\/span>.<\/span> The<\/span> DH<\/span>DS<\/span> states<\/span> that<\/span> people<\/span> with<\/span> disabilities<\/span> are<\/span> more<\/span> likely<\/span> to<\/span> live<\/span> in<\/span> poverty<\/span> and<\/span> are<\/span> at<\/span> a<\/span> higher<\/span> risk<\/span> of<\/span> un<\/span>met<\/span> health<\/span> needs<\/span>,<\/span> which<\/span> could<\/span> contribute<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> higher<\/span> rate<\/span> of<\/span> people<\/span> with<\/span> mobility<\/span> disabilities<\/span> who<\/span> are<\/span> low<\/span>–<\/span>income<\/span>.<\/span> Meanwhile<\/span>,<\/span> the<\/span> U<\/span>.<\/span>S<\/span>.<\/span> Census<\/span> Bureau<\/span> data<\/span> show<\/span> that<\/span> people<\/span> who<\/span> are<\/span> low<\/span>–<\/span>income<\/span> are<\/span> more<\/span> likely<\/span> to<\/span> experience<\/span> disability<\/span> due<\/span> to<\/span> limited<\/span> access<\/span> to<\/span> medical<\/span> care<\/span> and<\/span> nutrition<\/span>,<\/span> as<\/span> well<\/span> as<\/span> environmental<\/span> and<\/span> social<\/span> factors<\/span>.<\/span> Both<\/span> poverty<\/span> and<\/span> disability<\/span> can<\/span> have<\/span> a<\/span> significant<\/span> impact<\/span> on<\/span> a<\/span> person<\/span>‘s<\/span> ability<\/span> to<\/span> work<\/span>,<\/span> and<\/span> it<\/span> is<\/span> possible<\/span> that<\/span> both<\/span> factors<\/span> could<\/span> contribute<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> data<\/span> we<\/span> are<\/span> seeing<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Geographic Area<\/h2>\n

    We further found that people residing in rural areas are highly likely to get affected by mobility disabilities. More specifically, HHS Regions 4 and 5 mainly have populations living in rural areas, whereas Regions 6 and 9 have more urban populations. Rural areas tend to have more people with mobility disorders compared to urban areas. Stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cases of falls are high in rural areas.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    According<\/span> to<\/span> CDC<\/span>,<\/span> mobility<\/span> disability<\/span> is<\/span> one<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> most<\/span> common<\/span> types<\/span> of<\/span> disability<\/span> among<\/span> adults<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span>.<\/span> People<\/span> living<\/span> in<\/span> rural<\/span> areas<\/span> may<\/span> be<\/span> at<\/span> a<\/span> higher<\/span> risk<\/span> of<\/span> developing<\/span> mobility<\/span> disabilities<\/span> due<\/span> to<\/span> a<\/span> variety<\/span> of<\/span> factors<\/span>,<\/span> including<\/span> a<\/span> lack<\/span> of<\/span> access<\/span> to<\/span> healthcare<\/span>,<\/span> limited<\/span> access<\/span> to<\/span> transportation<\/span>,<\/span> and<\/span> a<\/span> higher<\/span> prevalence<\/span> of<\/span> poverty<\/span>.<\/span> According<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> U<\/span>.<\/span>S<\/span>.<\/span> Census<\/span> Bureau<\/span>,<\/span> in<\/span> 2017<\/span>,<\/span> the<\/span> poverty<\/span> rate<\/span> for<\/span> people<\/span> living<\/span> in<\/span> rural<\/span> areas<\/span> was<\/span> 16<\/span>.<\/span>7<\/span>%,<\/span> compared<\/span> to<\/span> 12<\/span>.<\/span>3<\/span>%<\/span> for<\/span> people<\/span> living<\/span> in<\/span> urban<\/span> areas<\/span>.<\/span> This<\/span> suggests<\/span> that<\/span> those<\/span> living<\/span> in<\/span> rural<\/span> areas<\/span> may<\/span> be<\/span> more<\/span> likely<\/span> to<\/span> experience<\/span> financial<\/span> hardship<\/span>,<\/span> which<\/span> can<\/span> limit<\/span> access<\/span> to<\/span> health<\/span> care<\/span> and<\/span> resources<\/span> that<\/span> may<\/span> help<\/span> prevent<\/span> or<\/span> reduce<\/span> the<\/span> risk<\/span> of<\/span> mobility<\/span> disabilities<\/span>.<\/span> Additionally<\/span>,<\/span> rural<\/span> areas<\/span> often<\/span> lack<\/span> public<\/span> transportation<\/span>,<\/span> making<\/span> it<\/span> difficult<\/span> for<\/span> people<\/span> to<\/span> access<\/span> the<\/span> necessary<\/span> healthcare<\/span> services<\/span> they<\/span> need<\/span> to<\/span> prevent<\/span> or<\/span> manage<\/span> mobility<\/span> disabilities<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Veterans<\/h2>\n

    Of all the people with mobility disabilities in the U.S., 13.9% of them are veterans.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Upon exploration, we found that contrary to popular belief, veterans are not highly likely to have mobility disabilities. This can be seen in the side-by-side charts showing the amount of disabled vs. non-disabled people among the general population compared to that of the veteran population. It is obvious at first glance that the numbers are almost identical, proving that veterans are not significantly more likely than any other U.S. citizens to have mobility disabilities.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Cancer<\/h2>\n

    It was interesting to note that people who had cancer or had done checkups for cancer have been observed to have a higher chance of getting affected by mobility disability. Around 15% of all the people who have mobility disabilities had cancer at least once in their lifetime. This means 3 in 20 with a mobility disability is likely to have cancer or had cancer in the past. Mobility disability in those cases may be related to cancer treatment.<\/p>\n

    People with cancer can be at risk for mobility disability due to the physical and psychological effects of the disease, treatments, and medications, as well as other factors. Additionally, the U.S. Census Bureau states that people with disabilities, including mobility disabilities, are more likely to have chronic conditions such as cancer. However, it is important to note that neither mobility disability nor cancer directly causes the other and that there are likely multiple factors that contribute to both mobility disability and cancer.<\/p>\n

    States<\/h2>\n

    The<\/span> mobility<\/span> disability<\/span> population<\/span> is<\/span> high<\/span> in<\/span> southern<\/span> states<\/span> such<\/span> as<\/span> Texas<\/span> and<\/span> Florida<\/span>.<\/span> California<\/span> has<\/span> the<\/span> most<\/span> mobility<\/span> disability<\/span> cases<\/span>,<\/span> making<\/span> up<\/span> over<\/span> 9<\/span>%<\/span> of<\/span> all<\/span> cases<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> U<\/span>.<\/span>S<\/span>.,<\/span> followed<\/span> by<\/span> Texas<\/span> with<\/span> almost<\/span> 8<\/span>%<\/span> and<\/span> Florida<\/span> with<\/span> over<\/span> 7<\/span>.<\/span>5<\/span>%.<\/span> Places<\/span> with<\/span> a<\/span> lot<\/span> of<\/span> rural<\/span> areas<\/span> also<\/span> have<\/span> a<\/span> lot<\/span> of<\/span> mobility<\/span> disability<\/span> cases<\/span>.<\/span> Washington<\/span> D<\/span>.<\/span>C<\/span>.<\/span> has<\/span> 0<\/span>.<\/span>16<\/span>%<\/span> of<\/span> all<\/span> mobility<\/span> disability<\/span> cases<\/span>,<\/span> slightly<\/span> more<\/span> than<\/span> Alaska<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Trend<\/h2>\n

    As we look into the changes that took place over a span of 5 years, we find that there is a significant decrease in the number of mobility disability cases from 2016 to 2020.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Additionally, the number of adults over 45 who have had falls was the lowest in 2020.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    38 states showed a decrease in the number of mobility disability cases. 10 states showed a significant decrease from 15% to nearly 30% decrease. Maryland, New Jersey, and West Virginia showed a huge decrease in the number of mobility disability cases, having a more than 22% decrease per state. Most states in the country have shown a significant decrease in mobility disability cases having more than a 10% decrease.<\/p>\n

    On the other hand, 12 states showed an increase in the number of cases. Idaho showed a huge increase in the number of disability cases \u2013 a nearly 17% increase from 2016. Idaho is followed by Nevada with an 11.35% increase and Utah with a 10.22% increase.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    The<\/span> decrease<\/span> in<\/span> mobility<\/span> disability<\/span> cases<\/span> in<\/span> 2020<\/span> is<\/span> likely<\/span> due<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> CO<\/span>VID<\/span>–<\/span>19<\/span> pand<\/span>emic<\/span>.<\/span> Many<\/span> people<\/span> were<\/span> forced<\/span> to<\/span> stay<\/span> home<\/span> and<\/span> avoid<\/span> going<\/span> out<\/span>,<\/span> which<\/span> reduced<\/span> their<\/span> chances<\/span> of<\/span> becoming<\/span> injured<\/span> or<\/span> developing<\/span> a<\/span> mobility<\/span> disability<\/span>.<\/span> Additionally<\/span>,<\/span> people<\/span> may<\/span> have<\/span> been<\/span> less<\/span> likely<\/span> to<\/span> seek<\/span> medical<\/span> care<\/span> due<\/span> to<\/span> fears<\/span> of<\/span> contracting<\/span> the<\/span> virus<\/span> in<\/span> medical<\/span> settings<\/span>.<\/span> Finally<\/span>,<\/span> the<\/span> economic<\/span> downturn<\/span> caused<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> pand<\/span>emic<\/span> likely<\/span> led<\/span> to<\/span> decreased<\/span> access<\/span> to<\/span> medical<\/span> care<\/span>,<\/span> meaning<\/span> that<\/span> people<\/span> who<\/span> may<\/span> have<\/span> been<\/span> able<\/span> to<\/span> get<\/span> a<\/span> diagnosis<\/span> or<\/span> treatment<\/span> for<\/span> a<\/span> mobility<\/span> disability<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> different<\/span> economic<\/span> climate<\/span> may<\/span> not<\/span> have<\/span> been<\/span> able<\/span> to<\/span> do<\/span> so<\/span> in<\/span> 2020<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Understanding the risk factors and prevalence of mobility disabilities is essential for preventing and treating them, and for ensuring that those with mobility disabilities have the resources they need to lead healthy, independent lives. Our findings show that mobility disabilities are more common among those over 45 years of age, women, people with low incomes, and those living in rural areas. The findings of this study emphasize the importance of understanding and addressing the needs of this vulnerable population.<\/p>\n

    Methodology<\/strong><\/p>\n

    We collected data from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)<\/a> and the U.S. Census Bureau<\/a> to conduct this study on the state of mobility disorders in the USA. Data ranging from 2016 to 2020 was taken for this study.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    There are over 61 million people with disabilities in the United States of America. Mobility disability accounts for over 13.7% of all disabilities in the country. Mobility disabilities is an umbrella term that includes any disability that impacts a person’s ability to move or maintain their balance. These physical impairments include arthritis, paralysis, amputation, cerebral […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7563,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[298,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthcare-news","category-medical_news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.avacaremedical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7532","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.avacaremedical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.avacaremedical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.avacaremedical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.avacaremedical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7532"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.avacaremedical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7532\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7890,"href":"https:\/\/www.avacaremedical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7532\/revisions\/7890"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.avacaremedical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.avacaremedical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.avacaremedical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.avacaremedical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}