Hospitalization and Mortality Among Mexican Adults With Arthritis: Findings From the Mexican Health and Aging Study

Objectives Few studies have investigated health outcomes associated with arthritis in low-middle-income countries. Our objective was to examine the association between arthritis and all-cause hospitalization and mortality among middle-aged and older adults in Mexico. Methods Our sample included 12,106 participants aged >50 years from the 2012, 2015, and 2018 waves of the Mexican Health and Aging Study. Logistic regression was used for the associations between arthritis and hospitalization. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard models were used for the association between arthritis and mortality. Results Arthritis was associated with higher odds of hospitalization (OR = 1.23; 95% CI = 1.09-1.38), but not mortality. Arthritis with physical limitations had the highest odds of hospitalization (OR = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.27-1.73). Arthritis with joint pain (OR = 1.24; 95% CI = 1.10-1.41) and medication use (OR = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.11-1.48) had higher odds of hospitalization. Conclusion Among middle-aged and older adults in Mexico, arthritis was associated with a high risk of hospitalization.