title: Living experiences of middle-aged adults with early knee osteoarthritis in prediagnostic phase.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to understand the living experiences of middle-aged Taiwanese adults with early knee osteoarthritis (OA).
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative research design was used in this study. Participants (n = 17) were recruited by purposive sampling from orthopedic clinics at two medical centers in northern Taiwan. Data were collected through in-depth interviews from July to December 2010. The data were transcribed verbatim and summarized by content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicated that the lived experiences could be grouped into 4 main themes: awareness; surmise of causes; acquisition of strategies; and the search for confirmative diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study found that patients' knowledge is insufficient for recognition of the presence of early OA. There is a need for clinicians to integrate knowledge of OA into the health education system and to develop interventions for early knee osteoarthritic patients. Patients' disease cognition must be promoted so that their ability to process early symptoms of this disease will improve.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Tamshui, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Mei-Hua
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: Yun-Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013624:Taiwan; D013637:Tape Recording