# Knowledge, attitude, and practice towards knee osteoarthritis: a regional study in Chinese patients

## TL;DR

A study in China found that patients with knee osteoarthritis lack knowledge, have negative attitudes, and practice poorly, with factors like age and income influencing their management of the condition.

## Contribution

The study identifies key demographic and socioeconomic factors influencing knowledge, attitudes, and practices in knee osteoarthritis patients in a regional Chinese population.

## Key findings

- Patients showed inadequate knowledge, negative attitudes, and inactive practices toward knee osteoarthritis.
- Age, gender, employment, and income were significant factors associated with KAP scores.
- Structural equation modeling revealed that knowledge directly affects attitude and practice, and attitude directly affects practice.

## Abstract

Given the chronic nature of knee osteoarthritis and its reliance on self-management, patients’ knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) significantly influence their ability to effectively manage knee osteoarthritis. This study aimed to investigate patients’ KAP towards knee osteoarthritis.

This cross-sectional survey was conducted among patients with knee osteoarthritis, using a self-designed questionnaire.

A total of 764 (96.47%) valid questionnaires enrolled, including 451 (59.03%) females, with a mean age of 48.28 ± 7.08 years. Their mean KAP scores were 8.10 ± 3.67 (possible range 0–16), 26.40 ± 4.492 (possible range 9–45), and 20.67 ± 5.156 (possible range 7–35), respectively. Structural equation modelling showed that knowledge had direct effects on attitude and practice. Attitude was found to exert a direct impact on practice. Moreover, multivariate logistic regression showed that employment, family’s monthly income, duration of knee osteoarthritis, and medication were independently associated with knowledge. Age, sex, employment, and coachfellow were independently associated with attitude. Sex, employment, and marital status were independently associated with practice (all P < 0.05).

Patients had inadequate knowledge, negative attitude, and inactive practice towards knee osteoarthritis. Age, gender, employment, and marital status, monthly income, duration of knee osteoarthritis, medication, and coachfellow might be associated with their KAP. It is recommended to enhance clinical practice through patient education, personalized exercise plans, and tailored care based on individual patient profiles for improved knee osteoarthritis management.

Key Points• Patients show inadequate KAP towards knee osteoarthritis.• Factors affecting KAP include age, gender, and income.• Need for patient education and personalized care in management.

Key Points

• Patients show inadequate KAP towards knee osteoarthritis.

• Factors affecting KAP include age, gender, and income.

• Need for patient education and personalized care in management.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10067-025-07385-0.