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Updated: May 25, 2026
The Lower Body Positive Pressure Treadmill for Knee Osteoarthritis Rehabilitation
Published on: July 22, 2019
Relationship between physical activity and health-related utility among knee osteoarthritis patients
Larry M Manheim1, Dorothy Dunlop, Jing Song
1Institute for Healthcare Studies, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Rubloff, 750 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60611-3152, USA. l-manheim@northwestern.edu
Objective:
To estimate the relationship between physical activity and health-related utility for people with knee osteoarthritis (OA) and implications for designing cost-effective interventions.
Methods:
We used generalized estimating equation regression analysis to estimate partial association of accelerometer-measured physical activity levels with health-related utility after controlling for demographics, health status, knee OA severity level, pain, and functioning.
Results:
Moving from the lowest to the middle tertile of physical activity level was associated with a 0.071 (P < 0.01) increase in health-related utility after controlling for demographics and a 0.036 (P < 0.05) increase in utility after controlling for demographics, health status, knee OA severity level, weight, pain, and functional impairments.
Conclusion:
Intervention programs that move individuals out of the lowest tertile of physical activity have the potential to be cost effective.