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Odole A.1, Ekediegwu E.2, Ekechukwu N.3
1University of Ibadan/University College Hospital, Physiotherapy Department, Ibadan, Nigeria, 2University of Ibadan, Physiotherapy, Ibadan, Nigeria, 3University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Physiotherapy Department, Enugu, Nigeria
Background: Treatment-seeking behaviour, evaluation and management approach, as well as responsiveness to management by individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA) could be hampered by variations of common risk factors of knee OA; age and gender. Studies that integrate age and gender variations in clinical factors such as pain intensity and physical function are limited.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine age and gender variations in pain intensity and physical function among individuals with knee OA.
Methods: Eighty-nine out of one hundred and three consecutively sampled patients diagnosed of knee OA from three selected public hospitals in Enugu, South-East Nigeria, participated in this cross-sectional survey. Instruments used were Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Ibadan Knee or Hip Osteoarthritis Measure (IKHOAM). Data were analysed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Students-test with Bonferroni correction. The level of significance was set at 0.05.
Results: Significant variations of age existed in pain intensity, {p=0.04} specifically between age groups of 20-39 and 40-59 years {p=0.01}, 60-79 years {p=0.04}. Significant variations of age were found in physical function {p 0.05} between age groups of 60-79 and 20-39 years {p=0.02}, 40-59 years {p=0.03}. There was a significant gender variation in physical function {p 0.05} but not in pain intensity {p=0.09}, with females reporting higher scores on pain intensity (3.94±2.29) and lower scores on physical function (64.06±17.26) than males (pain intensity: 5.29±2.97 and physical function: 78.77±17.08).
Conclusion(s): Significant variations of age on pain intensity, age on physical function and gender on physical function of the participants seemed to exist. When gender is ignored, age varies with pain intensity and physical function but when age is ignored, gender varies with physical function only.
Implications: Age and gender should be considered by clinicians in management programs for individuals with knee OA so as to address the specific needs of each individual patient.
Funding acknowledgements: None
Topic: Disability & rehabilitation
Ethics approval: University of Ibadan/ University College Hospital Health Research Ethics Committee (UI/EC/15/0059)
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
