The Predictor For Disease Specific-Quality Of Life In Patients With Hip And Knee Osteoarthritis: Mental Health

Background Enhancing quality of life (QoL) in older adults with physical limitations is a significant challenge for healthcare providers. One of the first steps to improving quality of life in older adults with osteoarthritis (OA) is developing a better understanding of the set of factors that coexist and influence QoL. Objectives To determine the predictors of disease-specific QoL in a sample of knee and hip OA in a tertiary care hospital and to evaluate physical activity, mental health, social functioning and social support components of OA-specific-QoL questionnaire in addition to score of pain, ESR, CRP, x-ray, and co-morbid conditions. Methods A cross-sectional, methodological exploration from an inpatient sample (N=100) of adults (mean age: 64.51±8.78, 83 female) with OA of the knee (N=78) and hip (N=22) according to the ACR- clinic and radiograhic knee OA or hip OA classification criteria was performed. Clinical, laboratory and radiographic datas were analysed using SPSS15.0. The osteoarthritis knee and hip quality of life questionnaire (OAKHQOL) consisting of 43 items in five dimensions and three independent items were fullfilled by patients (1). Results Means of pain-VAS scores at rest and movement were moderately high (5.14 and 6.64). Twenty patients were in stage I, 36 patients were stage II, 30 patients were in stage III and remaining 14 patients were in stage IV OA according to the Kellgren-Lawrence system. All of the patients were overweight or obese. Related comorbidities were common such as 48 hypertensive, and 33 diabetic.Lineer regression analyses showed that mental health ( R 2 =0.668, p =.000), pain ( R 2 =0.591, p =.000), and vehichle-transfer difficulties ( R 2 =0.572, p =.000) were the most important predictors for OA-specific-QOL. Conclusions The findings of this study provide a foundation or targeted interventions to improve QoL and the importance of mental health older adults with OA of the knee and hip. The individual problem solving including both mental and physical approaches may help these patients to improve OA-specific-QoL. Mental health and cognitive approaches should be incorporated to OA management. References Rat AC, Coste J, Pouchot J, Baumann M, Spitz E, Retel-Rude N, Le Quintrec JS, Dumont-Fischer D, Guillemin F. OAKHQOL: a new instrument to measure quality of life in knee and hip osteoarthritis. J Clin Epidemiol. 2005 Jan;58(1):47-55. Disclosure of Interest None declared