Chronic knee osteoarthritis: Relationships of body mass index and selected psychosocial factors among Nigerians

BACKGROUND: Knee Osteoarthritis is the most commonly affected joint among Africans. There is a shred of preliminary evidence that a high body mass index (BMI) is associated with high kinesiophobia. Little is known about the relationships of psychosocial factors such as Kinesiophobia, Pain Catastrophizing (PC), Self-Efficacy (SE), and BMI among Nigerians with knee OA. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the relationships between BMI and selected psychosocial factors (kinesiophobia, pain catastrophizing, and self-efficacy) among individuals with knee OA in Nigeria. METHODS: Seventy-seven consecutively sampled patients diagnosed with knee OA from three selected public hospitals in Enugu, South-East Nigeria, participated in this cross-sectional survey. Brief Fear of Movement Scale for Osteoarthritis (BFMSO), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), and Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale-8 item (ASES-8 item) were used to assess Kinesiophobia, PC, and SE, respectively. Also, a stadiometer and weighing scale were used to determine height and weight respectively. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient at [Formula: see text] and multiple linear regression. RESULTS: Participants were aged [Formula: see text] years. Female participants had a higher BMI ([Formula: see text]) than the males ([Formula: see text]). The mean scores for BMI of the right knee, left knee, and bilateral knees were [Formula: see text] , [Formula: see text] , and [Formula: see text] , respectively. Significant positive correlations were found between BMI and PC ([Formula: see text]) whereas significant negative correlations existed between BMI and SE ([Formula: see text]). Significant predictive markers of BMI were PC ([Formula: see text]) and SE ([Formula: see text]). CONCLUSION: Body mass index, PC, and SE correlate significantly in individuals with knee OA. The results call for the routine integration of psychologically-informed physiotherapy practice in the management of knee OA.