CORRELATION BETWEEN WESTERN ONTARIO AND MCMASTER UNIVERSITIES OSTEOARTHRITIS INDEX (WOMAC) AND ACTIVITIES – SPECIFIC BALANCE CONFIDENCE (ABC) SCALE IN OLDER ADULTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS OF KNEE JOINT

DEEPALI PATIL; NUPOOR KULKARNI

Volume : VIII, Issue : VI, June - 2019

CORRELATION BETWEEN WESTERN ONTARIO AND MCMASTER UNIVERSITIES OSTEOARTHRITIS INDEX (WOMAC) AND ACTIVITIES – SPECIFIC BALANCE CONFIDENCE (ABC) SCALE IN OLDER ADULTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS OF KNEE JOINT

Deepali Patil, Nupoor Kulkarni

Abstract :

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is more important not only for its high prevalence rate compared with other types of osteoarthritis (OA) but also for its presentation at earlier age groups particularly in younger age groups of obese women. The incidence increases by age and further increase with longer lifetime. Pain and other symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA) may have a profound effect on quality of life affecting both physical function and psychological parameters. This can result in self–imposed limitation of activity and hence decreasing functional ability and confidence level of the individual. Hence, it�s important to assess the degree of pain, stiffness and functional limitation and the confidence level of the individual. WOMAC was used to assess the severity of pain, stiffness and functional limitation and ABC was used to assess the individual�s confidence level. This study was aimed to find if there exists any correlation in both the outcome measures. Objective: Correlation of WOMAC and ABC Scale in community dwelling older adults. Methodology: 100 participants with age group of 60–80 years was recruited. Both WOMAC and ABC Scale was assessed on each individual for one time and further scores was noted down and correlated. Result: The correlation coefficient between both the scale was r = –0.3063 and the P value was < 0.0019, according to this correlation is negative which means as the score of WOMAC increases the score of ABC scale decreases and also vice versa. Hence there exists inverse correlation between both the outcomes i.e. lesser the symptoms, better is the confidence. Conclusion: This study proved that there is inverse correlation between WOMAC and ABC scale which is statistically significant. Thus it is concluded that pain, stiffness and functional limitation is correlated to confidence of the individual while performing specific activities.