Dimensions of osteoarthritis self-management

Our aims were to determine whether a taxonomy of self-management strategies for osteoarthritis could be identified, and whether the resultant dimensions of such a taxonomy demonstrate predictable relationships with health status indices. Participants (n = 117) from community-based self-help groups and a general rheumatology outpatient clinic completed a self-management inventory consisting of 11 items, answered for both the past 7 days and a day on which symptoms were worse than usual. Duration of symptoms, level of pain, perceived functional ability and self-rated health were recorded as indicators of health status. Three essentially identical factors were obtained for both past 7 days and worse day items. Resultant scales were labeled passive, complementary and active, respectively. Correlations with health status measures provided modest evidence for the construct validity of these self-management scales. Compared with a simple aggregate score based on the total number of strategies used, the scales provided a clearer understanding of the relationship between self-management and health. The study provided a useful extension to existing research, addressing a number of shortcomings identified by previous researchers. The identified self-management dimensions offered a greater insight into the self-management choices of patients. Suggestions for further improvements to the measurement of self-management are outlined.