Health concerns of men with osteoarthritis of the knee

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine health concerns of men with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee for use in the design of appropriate nursing interventions.

Design/sample: A one-group, descriptive design was used with a convenience sample of 104 men with a clinical diagnosis of OA of the knee.

Methods: All participants were recruited from a VA hospital/clinic located in Missouri. They were surveyed using the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales 2 (AIMS2).

Findings: The men in this sample were most concerned about pain, walking and bending, and mobility. They rated their present health as fair to good, but in 10 years they predicted their health would be worse and their arthritis would be a major problem.

Conclusions: Based on these findings, interventions for men with OA should focus on strategies to deal with pain and decreased mobility and on fostering hope for the future.