Perceptions, beliefs, and needs of Japanese people with knee osteoarthritis during conservative care: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Patients’ perceptions and beliefs of disease could be influenced by their lifestyle and culture. Although it is important to understand their perceptions and beliefs toward disease to prevent and manage osteoarthritis (OA) through conservative care, this topic has not been investigated in Japanese people with knee OA. Therefore, this qualitative study aims to clarify how Japanese patients with knee OA experience and perceive their symptoms and disabilities, and how they face them during conservative care. METHODS: Participants were recruited by purposive sampling. Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine patients (2 men and 7 women; mean age, 74.3 ± 5.5 years) with knee OA until data saturation was reached. Interview data comprised participants’ accounts of particular personal experiences of living with knee OA, including their perceptions and attitudes toward knee OA-related symptoms and disabilities. Two physiotherapists (one with extensive experience conducting qualitative studies) and four physiotherapy students conducted the interviews. Recorded interview data were transcribed verbatim in Japanese. Data analysis, including developing a coding scheme, was conducted based on a grounded theory approach. RESULTS: Two core categories were extracted from the data: ‘Negative experiences’ and ‘Coping with difficulties’. ‘Negative experiences’ included three main categories: ‘Self-analysis on the cause of knee OA’, ‘Difficulties in daily life due to knee symptoms’, and ‘Psychological barrier’. ‘Coping with difficulties’ included three main categories: ‘How to deal with knee pain and difficulty in moving’, ‘Information considered useful to cope with knee OA’ and ‘Importance of connecting with others’. Japanese patients with knee OA desired evidence-based information and to connect with other people in the same situation to solve problems related to their condition. CONCLUSIONS: To address patients’ concerns, medical professionals should conduct careful interviews and obtain information regarding patients’ past experiences, and understand their experiences related to knee OA. Symptoms and difficulties experienced by patients with knee OA should be managed by evidence-based information integrating their perceptions and beliefs toward knee OA. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12891-021-04641-7.