G-1366

Relationship between treatment adherence and symptoms severity of knee osteoarthritis in the elderly: a cross-sectional study

 Reza Nematollahi Maleki ¹ ℗, Sarieh Poortaghi ² ©, Nasrin Nikpeyma ³, Reza Negarandeh ⁴, Tohid Jafari Koshki ⁵   

 
Abstract

Introduction: Osteoarthritis is a prevalent chronic condition in the elderly, with symptom severity potentially influenced by treatment adherence. This study aimed to explore the relationship between treatment adherence and knee osteoarthritis symptom severity in elderly patients. Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional correlational study, conducted in 2024 in Tehran, Iran, included 194 elderly patients with knee osteoarthritis recruited via convenience sampling from orthopedic clinics affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Data were collected using the Modanloo Adherence to Treatment Questionnaire (MATQ) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC), analyzed with Spearman’s rank correlation and multinomial logistic regression in SPSS version 24. Results: Participants had a mean age of 67.77±6.87 years, with 56.2% female and 73.19% showing very good treatment adherence (mean MATQ score: 80.22±13.14). Mean WOMAC scores were 48.47±26.18 (overall), with subscales for pain (10.46±5.85), stiffness (3.95±2.16), and physical function (34.06±18.70). Spearman’s correlation revealed a weak inverse relationship between adherence and symptom severity (r = -0.28, p 0.001), but regression analysis showed no significant association (p 0.05), instead identifying education, income, occupation, and medication use as predictors of adherence. Conclusion and Discussion: Elderly patients with knee osteoarthritis exhibited high adherence and moderate symptoms. While an inverse correlation exists, regression suggests socioeconomic factors drive adherence more than symptom severity, guiding targeted interventions for improved geriatric care

Keywords: knee osteoarthritis, cross-sectional, older adults, treatment adherence