HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AND SOME RELATED FACTORS AMONG OLDER PATIENTS WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS

Abstract

SUMMARY

Objectives: To assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and associations with some characteristics among older people with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study on 184 older patients with knee OA treated at National Geriatric Hospital from May to August 2022. HRQoL was assessed using the EQ–5D–5L questionnaire. Knee OA characteristics were also collected. Results: The proportion of patients with difficulties in aspects such as mobility was 88%; self-care was 68.9%; usual activities was 66.1%; pain/discomfort was 90.8% and anxiety/depression was 66.1%. The results showed that HRQoL in older age was significantly lower than in the younger in terms of mobilities and usual activities (p<0.05). Patients who had the lower KOA stage had better HRQoL, especially in mobility and pain dimensions. The smaller the VAS score, the better the HRQoL. About the subclinical tests of KOA patients, the thickening synovial membrane had a significant difference with HRQoL in mobility, usual activities, and pain/discomfort dimensions. Patients with bone spurs had significant differences with HRQoL, only except mobility dimension. All negative correlation coefficients showed that this is the opposite correlation, the higher WOMAC pain, stiffness, and function patients got, the worse QoL patients experienced. Conclusion: More than two-thirds of the participants self-reported as having problems with one of the aspects of HRQoL among older patients with knee OA. Our results highlighted that aspects of the EQ-5D-5L are related to age, severe knee OA stages, severe VAS pain, and WOMAC scores.