Assessing Quality of Life Using Zhan’s Concept Among Thai Osteoarthritis Patients: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

Quality of life (QoL) in Thai patients with knee osteoarthritis and its predicting factors according to Zhan’s concept have been well described by various studies; but not all predicting factors have been simultaneously tested in a single study. This study aimed to examine quality of life of Thai patients with knee osteoarthritis, as well as direct effects of personal factors, health-related factors, and social/culture/environmental factors on quality of life of patients with knee osteoarthritis. 300 patients aged 60 years or older receiving care at five hospitals in Nakhonnayok, Thailand, were purposively selected from May 2019 to June 2020. Participants completed the knee osteoarthritis severity scale, social support scale, quality of life scale, and demographic and health status questions. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Overall quality of life was at a moderate level. Knee osteoarthritis severity; which was a health-related factor, and social support; which was social/culture/environmental factors, had significantly, negative and positive direct effects on quality of life, respectively. These two causal factors could explain 33% of the variance of quality of life. Healthcare providers and settings should provide more programs with activities to promote social support and alleviate knee osteoarthritis severity for the Thai elderly patients with knee osteoarthritis.