Correlates and predictors of pain intensity and physical function among individuals with chronic knee osteoarthritis in Nigeria.

Background: Little is known about the correlates between pain intensity (PI) and physical function (PF) and psychosocial factors {kinesiophobia (K), Pain Catastrophizing (PC) and Self-efficacy (SE)} among patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis in developing countries like Nigeria.

Objective: To investigate the correlates of PI and PF and psychosocial factors in patients with knee osteoarthritis in Nigeria.

Design: Eighty-nine consecutively sampled patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis from three selected public hospitals in Enugu, South-East Nigeria, participated in this cross-sectional survey.

Method: Brief Fear of Movement Scale for Osteoarthritis, Pain Catastrophizing Scale and Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale-8 item were used to assess kinesiophobia, pain catastrophizing and Self-efficacy respectively. Visual Analogue Scale and Ibadan Knee or Hip Osteoarthritis Measure were used to assess PI and PF respectively. Data were analysed using Pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple regression at p = 0.05.

Results/findings: Participants were aged 59.11 ± 12.46years involving male (17.9%) and female (82.1%) participants. There were no significant gender differences in the scores of kinesiophobia, PI, PF, PC and self-efficacy. Pain intensity was significantly proportional to kinesiophobia (r = 0.38), and PC(r = 0.39). Better physical function was associated with high self-efficacy (r = 0.35), low kinesiophobia (r = -0.43) and low PC(r = -0.28). Significant predictive markers of PI included kinesiophobia (β = 0.24) and PC(β = 0.11) while that of PF, included kinesiophobia (β = -0.41) and SE(β = 2.39).

Conclusions: Kinesiophobia and pain catastrophizing correlate and predict PI significantly. Kinesiophobia and SE are significant correlates and predictors of PF among patients with knee osteoarthritis in Nigeria.