Fatigue in individuals with knee osteoarthritis: Its relationship with sleep quality, pain and depression

OBJECTIVE: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out to investigate the relationship between fatigue, and sleep quality, pain and depression in patients with knee osteoarthritis. METHODS: A cross-sectional, correlational design was used. The study sample comprised 151 individuals with knee osteoarthritis and 147 healthy individuals. To collect the study data, the Sociodemographic Characteristics Questionnaire (SCQ), Visual Analogue Scale to Evaluate Fatigue Severity (VAS-F), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Visual Analogue Scale and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used. To analyze the study data, appropriate tests were used. RESULTS: It was found that the patients with knee osteoarthritis had higher fatigue scores, and higher PSQI and BDI total scores than did the healthy participants, and that the difference between them was significant (p<0.05). There was a positive correlation between fatigue score and PSQI, VAS and BDI scores (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The participants with knee osteoarthritis suffered fatigue more than did the healthy participants. This fatigue suffered by them affected their sleep quality, pain and depression negatively.