Personal models of osteoarthritis and their relation to self-management activities and quality of life.
We examined the personal models of osteoarthritis (OA) of 61 patients over 60 years of age. Models were elicited using a structured interview. Shared beliefs included perceiving OA as a serious, painful, chronic, and incurable condition that can be managed by recommended medical treatment. Considerable individual differences were found on six personal-model constructs: Symptoms, Seriousness, Cause, Control, Helpfulness of Treatment, and Negative Feelings about Treatment. The constructs of Symptoms and Seriousness were consistently related to a variety of important outcomes. For example, participants with higher scores on Symptoms and Seriousness reported higher levels of self-management (both concurrently and prospectively), reported more utilization of medical services, and experienced a poorer quality of life. The implications for the design of health-education materials and for patient-provider interactions are discussed.
Oregon Research Institute, Eugene 97401.
S E
SE
Hampson
R E
RE
Glasgow
A M
AM
Zeiss
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000523:psychology*; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011788:Quality of Life; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology*; D012803:Sick Role