This purpose of the study is to examine the difference in the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) between individuals who suffer from physician-diagnosed arthritis compared with individuals who do not suffer from physician-diagnosed arthritis in a population of university students, faculty, and staff. The study sampled from a population of students, faculty, and staff at the University of Central Florida. Through the implantation of a cross-sectional ecological design, differences between the two groups were measured with a survey that measures health-related quality of life, such as the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). The SF-36 questionnaire was distributed to subjects through a campus-wide email system and was administered through Qualtrics, an online survey program. Literature suggests lower SF-36 scores for individuals suffering from arthritis, but is lacking in investigating the effect of arthritis on college-aged students, particularly within the 18-24 age group. The study aims to close this gap in the literature. SPSS software was used to analyze results through tests of association, like ANOVA, which measured differences in the SF-36 scores of subjects with physician-diagnosed arthritis and subjects without physician-diagnosed arthritis. Results showed a significant difference in the HR-QOL scores between individuals with arthritis and individuals without arthritis, as well as age, gender, ethnicity, and the presence of joint pain.

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