Perceived importance and satisfaction with physical function in patients with knee osteoarthritis

This investigation examined the determinants of satisfaction with physical function for participants in art Observational Arthritis Study in Seniors ( OASIS). The sample consisted of 480 men (51%) and women (49%) over the age of 65 years who had difficulty performing activities of daily living doe to knee pain. As part of baseline testing for OASIS, participants completed a measure that assessed satisfaction with function for Str physical activiti es. After controlling for relevant covariates scores on the satisfaction in dex were regressed on seven conceptually relevant predictor variables. The results revealed hat satisfaction with physical function is a distinct cons truct from level of fraction, irrespective of whether the latter variable i s measured objectively or objectively When entered into a hierarchical regr ession model, 6-minute walk rest data accounted for 11% of the variance in satisfaction scores, whereas perceived difficulty accounted for an addition al 22%. Moreover a significant interaction term between importance and perc eived difficulty revealed that patients who rated the activities as importa nt and who had high levels of perceived difficulty had the lowest satisfact ion scores. Discussion focuses on the determinants of satisfaction with phy sical function with emphasis on the interaction between perceived difficult y and importance.