Levels of pain and self-efficacy of individuals with osteoarthritis

Objectives: This descriptive study was conducted to determine pain and self-efficacy levels of individuals with osteoarthritis. Methods: 83 patients, who were hospitalized in and admitted to physical therapy or rehabilitation outpatient clinic and had a primary diagnosis of osteoarthritis, were included in the study. The data of the study were collected by using patient information form, visual analog scale (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and arthritis self-efficacy scale. Pearson correlation analysis, t-test, and one-way analysis of variance were used to assess the data. A p value less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The most frequent complaints of 78.5% of the individuals with osteoarthritis were pain and limitation of movement. The pain experienced by 69.9% affected their daily life activities so much. VAS mean score of the participants was 5.7 +/- 2.3, their WOMAC mean score was 56.3 +/- 14.8, and their self-efficacy score was 103.7 +/- 29.5. Self-efficacy levels of those, who were men, had a higher educational level, were not housewives, were independent in daily life activities and did not have an additional chronic disease, were higher compared to the other groups (p < 0.05). In this study, a negative correlation between self-efficacy scores and VAS and WOMAC scores and a positive correlation between VAS and WOMAC scores were found (p < 0.05). Conclusion: It was determined that self-efficacy of the individuals with osteoarthritis was moderate and gender, educational level, status of independence, pain, and functional level affected self-efficacy.