Self-care behaviors in older adults suffering from knee osteoarthritis: Application of theory of planned behavior

Hanieh Jormand; Nasim Mohammadi; Ali Khani Jeihooni; Pooyan Afzali Harsini

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.958614

Self-care behaviors in older adults suffering from knee osteoarthritis: Application of theory of planned behavior

Front Public Health. 2022 Nov 4:10:958614. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.958614. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Hanieh Jormand¹, Nasim Mohammadi², Ali Khani Jeihooni³, Pooyan Afzali Harsini⁴

Affiliations

¹ Autism Spectrum Disorders Research Center and Clinical Research Development Unit of Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
² Department of Public Health, School of Health, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran.
³ Nutrition Research Center, Department of Public Health, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
⁴ Department of Public Health, School of Health, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.

Abstract

Background: Osteoarthritis is one of the main reasons causing disablement. Educational intervention for self-care behaviors of patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis is important because its effect on quality of patient life decreases the economic burden of disorder on society and family. This study aimed to investigate the effect of educational intervention based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) on promoting self-care behaviors in elderly patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis.

Methods: This quasi-experimental study was performed on 200 elderlies suffering from knee osteoarthritis in the rheumatology clinics of Shiraz, Iran, in 2019. The subjects were divided into two groups (100 experimental and 100 control). Before and after 4 months, both experimental and control groups filled a questionnaire. After administering a pre-test to both groups, only the experimental group was trained based on the TPB constructs on self-care behaviors in elderly people suffering from knee osteoarthritis in eight sessions by presenting educational films and images, power points, and group discussions for solving problems.

Results: The mean age of the experimental group was 67.25 ± 3.64, and the mean age of the control group was 66.12 ± 3.50. The average scores of attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, intention, and behavior before the educational intervention did not have significant differences in experimental and control groups, however, 4 months after the educational intervention, the paired t-test indicated significant enhancement in every construct in the experimental group, but no significant changes in the control group.

Conclusion: According to the results, the educational intervention increased the self-care behaviors of patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis based on the theory of planned behavior. Therefore, the results of this study can be used in theory-based intervention strategies for self-care behaviors of patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis.

Keywords: educational intervention; knee osteoarthritis; patients; self-care behaviors; theory of planned behavior.

MeSH terms

Aged
Attitude
Humans
Intention
Osteoarthritis, Knee* / therapy
Self Care
Surveys and Questionnaires