The Mediating Role of Anger and Anxiety in the Association of Social Support with Mobility Among Middle-Age and Older Adults with Knee Osteoarthritis

TL;DR

This study explores how social support affects mobility in older adults with knee osteoarthritis, finding that anxiety, but not anger, mediates this relationship.

Contribution

The study identifies anxiety as a mediator linking social support to mobility in knee osteoarthritis patients.

Findings

Anxiety, but not anger, mediates the relationship between social support and mobility in knee osteoarthritis patients.

Social support appears to improve mobility by reducing anxiety levels in affected individuals.

Abstract

Introduction: Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the leading causes of chronic disability in older adults, often causing significant impairment of mobility. OA symptoms have been linked to mental functioning, including depression, anxiety, and negative affect. Method: To examine whether anger and anxiety mediate the relationship between social support and mobility among older adults with knee osteoarthritis, data from the Everyday Quality of Life in Older Blacks and Whites with Osteoarthritis (EQUAL) study (N = 336) were analyzed using Hayes’ PROCESS model in SPSS to test the direct effect of social support on mobility as well as mediation by anxiety and anger. Results: While univariate models for both anxiety and anger were significant, only anxiety mediated the relationship between social support and mobility. Conclusion: Although limited by their cross-sectional nature, the findings suggest that at least part of the association of social support with mobility may be explained by the role of support in alleviating anxiety.

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