Perceived Health Status of Women with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Cross-Sectional Study of the Relationships of Age, Body Mass, Pain and Walking Limitations

Persons with knee osteoarthritis (OA) often experience considerable physical disability. Although some studies suggest women with this condition suffer more than men, few have attempted to characterize the magnitude and that impact of this condition specifically among women with moderate knee osteoarthritis as well as the relationships that exist between their perceived health status and well established physical, emotional and perceptual factors found in this disease. This exploratory study strove to better understand factors that underpin the perceived impact of the condition, and to describe the extent of pain and function among women with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis, and how this impacts this condition. The records of 20 women with the condition who had undergone multiple tests using a standardized protocols and validated instruments were examined. The primary outcome measure was the perceived impact of the disease using the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale. Secondary outcome measures included six minute walking distance, fastest walking velocity, self-reported pain, pain and functional self-efficacy, body mass, and depression. The variables were subjected to t-tests, and correlational analyses. Results demonstrated pain is the clinical factor most consistently impacting the disease experience, along with deficiencies in walking ability (p <0.05). Important mediating variables of ambulatory capacity were body mass and pain self-efficacy.