Pain is a consistently reported barrier to physical activity by persons with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Nonetheless, few studies of knee OA have investigated the association of pain with daily walking levels. The current study assessed the relationship of 2 distinct measures of knee pain with objectively measured physical activity in adults with knee OA.
This was a longitudinal, observational investigation of 59 individuals (48 women; mean ± SD age 61.1 ± 6.4 years, mean ± SD body mass index 28.1 ± 5.6 kg/m
All covariates (age [β = -3.65, P < 0.001], body mass index [β = -3.06, P < 0.001], season [spring/fall β = -6.91, P = 0.002; winter β = -14.92, P < 0.001]) were predictors of physical activity. Neither the inverted KOOS-pain (β = 0.04, P = 0.717) nor P4-pain (β = -0.37, P = 0.264) was associated with physical activity.
Knee pain is not associated with daily walking levels in persons with mild-to-moderate, symptomatic knee OA. While pain management remains an important target of interventions, strategies to increase steps per day in this population should focus on overcoming potentially more crucial barriers to activity participation.