ARTHWORK is part of a series of questions sponsored by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Skin Diseases (NIAMS, NIH) and the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP, CDC). According to the 2006 Field Representative's Manual, in 2002 and 2003 these arthritis questions were among the questions addressing 2010 Healthy People initiatives, specifically about a) increasing the employment rate among working-age adults with arthritis and b) increasing the proportion of persons with arthritis who have taken evidence-based arthritis education to help manage their condition. In 2006 the questions were part of the Arthritis Supplement.

Other supplement questions related to arthritis asked about whether respondents had ever taken a class about managing problems related to their symptoms (ARTHCLASS) and about advice they had received from doctors or other health professionals to help their symptoms, such as physical exercise (ARTHEXERCISE) and losing weight (ARTHWEIGHT). In addition, sample adults were asked whether they were limited in any way in any of their usual activities because of arthritis or joint symptoms (ARTHLIMIT).