Self-management education programme on functional mobility for knee osteoarthritis in older adults.

Introduction Knee osteoarthritis in the older population is associated with physical and functional impairment. Recent studies suggest that the impact of the knee osteoarthritis may be reduced with self-management strategies. Objective The aim of this study was to examine the benefit of a tailored self-management education programme (SMEP) on functional mobility among older adults with knee osteoarthritis. Methods and Results A total of 32 older adults (mean age 66.77±6.42 years) with knee osteoarthritis met the eligibility criteria and were recruited in the study. All participants received a face to face; physiotherapist conducted weekly structured ‘Knee Osteoarthritis SMEP’ for 4 weeks. The SMEP was designed specifically for a multicultural population in Malaysia, which included a booklet on evidence based related to knowledge, exercises, healthy diet and lifestyle and activity modification strategies regarding knee osteoarthritis. Functional mobility was measured using 30 seconds sit to stand (30sSTS), time up and go (TUG) and two-minute walk (2MW) tests at baseline and after 6 weeks. Paired t-test analysis was performed to compare the pre and post intervention results. The mean scores for 30sSTS, TUG and 2MW tests had improved significantly (p< 0.05) at post-assessment by 9.5%, 9.2% and 13.5% respectively. Conclusion Delivery of a tailored SMEP has the potential to empower older adults to self-manage their knee osteoarthritis and to improve their functional mobility. The implementation of SMEP in clinical settings should now be considered