Quality of life and social support of patients with knee osteoarthritis in two selected hospitals in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease. Knee OA limits a person’s ability to participate activities in physical, occupational and social. This study aimed to measure the Quality of Life (QoL) and social support of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) in two selected hospitals in Sri Lanka. A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted among knee OA patients

(n=77) at the National Hospital of Ragama using self-administrated

Sri Lanka and Rehabilitation Hospital Short Form-36 (SF-36) and Medical

Outcomes Study–Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS). These tools were widely used in literatures to asses QoL and social support of knee OA patients. A recommended scoring method was used (0-100) and average is taken with SD. Higher scores indicate higher social support and QoL. Mean age of the participants was 53.8 years (SD=±10.1) with male: female ratio 1:4.5. Mean scores of QOL and social support were 50.5 (SD=±16.3) and 59.0 (SD=±18.3) respectively. Mean score of the mental health components of the QoL (55.0±20.1) was higher than that of physical health components (45.1±17.8). QoL and physical health scores were significantly lower when OA is bilateral (p=0.022 and p=0.004 respectively).QoL and mental health component scores were significantly and inversely associated with numbers of family members (p=0.027 and p=0.009 respectively). Also mental health components were significantly positively associated with age (p=0.004). No significant co-relation was found between QOL and social support (r=0.15, p=0.19). QOL was significantly negatively associated with number of family members and bilateral OA increases the chances of having poor QoL in the patients.