Daily pain catastrophizing predicts less physical activity and more sedentary behavior in older adults with osteoarthritis.

Musculoskeletal disorders such as knee osteoarthritis (OA) are the primary cause of chronic pain in older adults. Recommended self-management strategies for knee OA include staying physically active in the face of pain, but many patients avoid activities they are capable of doing. The overall purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which daily pain catastrophizing, a maladaptive coping strategy, could influence OA patients' physical activity and sedentary behavior.

Daily and bidirectional linkages between pain catastrophizing and spouse responses.

Pain catastrophizing has been shown to predict greater pain and less physical function in daily life for chronic pain sufferers, but its effects on close social partners have received much less attention. The overall purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which pain catastrophizing is an interpersonal coping strategy that is maladaptive for patients and their spouses. A total of 144 older knee osteoarthritis patients and their spouses completed baseline interviews and a 22-day diary assessment.