A theory of planned behavior-based intervention to improve quality of life in patients with knee/hip osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial

The objective of the current study was to examine the efficacy of an intervention based on a theory of planned behavior (TPB) in improving health-related quality of life in middle-age and older adults with this condition. One hundred twenty patients diagnosed with knee/hip OA were recruited from a general hospital. Measures administered at baseline were the SF-12, EuroQol (EQ-5D), Osteoarthritis Knee and Hip Quality of Life (OAKHQoL), and TPB questionnaire. Also assessed were body mass index (BMI), Kellgren –Lawrence Scale, six-minute walk test (SMWT), muscle strength, range of motion (ROM), and joint tenderness and swelling. Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention (n = 60) or the control group (n = 60). The intervention group received an educational program based on TPB that was administered over 1 month. The control group did not receive this treatment. Three months after the intervention, both groups were reevaluated and comparisons made. Compared to the no-treatment control group, t hose in the intervention group scored higher on HRQoL, both general and specific, at 3-month follow-up (p <  0.01). The only exception was the vitality domain. Significant differences were also found on the TPB questionnaire, the SMWT, and muscle strength in the expected direction (p <  0.05). While those in the intervention group improved significantly on all clinical measures from pre-test to post-test, those in the control group showed improve...
Source: Clinical Rheumatology - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: research