Association Between Osteoarthritis and Social Isolation: Data From the EPOSA Study

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To determine whether there is an association between osteoarthritis (OA) and incident social isolation using data from the European Project on OSteoArthritis (EPOSA) study. DESIGN Prospective, observational study with 12 to 18 months of follow‐up. SETTING Community dwelling. PARTICIPANTS Older people living in six European countries. MEASUREMENTS Social isolation was assessed using the Lubben Social Network Scale and the Maastricht Social Participation Profile. Clinical OA of the hip, knee, and hand was assessed according to American College of Rheumatology criteria. Demographic characteristics, including age, sex, multijoint pain, and medical comorbidities, were assessed. RESULTS Of the 1967 individuals with complete baseline and follow‐up data, 382 (19%) were socially isolated and 1585 were nonsocially isolated at baseline; of these individuals, 222 (13.9%) experienced social isolation during follow‐up. Using logistic regression analyses, after adjustment for age, sex, and country, four factors were significantly associated with incident social isolation: clinical OA, cognitive impairment, depression, and worse walking time. Compared to those without OA at any site or with only hand OA, clinical OA of the hip and/or knee, combined or not with hand OA, led to a 1.47 times increased risk of social isolation (95% confidence interval = 1.03‐2.09). CONCLUSION Clinical OA, present in one or two sites of the hip and knee, or in two or three sites of the hip, knee, and hand, increased the risk of social isolation, adjusting for cognitive impairment and depression and worse walking times. Clinicians should be aware that individuals with OA may be at greater risk of social isolation. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:87–95, 2019

Validación de la escala de convivencia con artrosis en la población española

“…Los pacientes con artrosis pueden tener dificultades para llevar a cabo actividades de la vida diaria como ir al baño, caminar o vestirse 8 . Estas limitaciones se han relacionado en varios países, entre ellos España, con situaciones de aislamiento social 9 . En conjunto, vivir con dolor crónico, fatiga, restricciones de actividades o aislamiento social contribuye a la depresión en la artrosis 10 y tiene relación con una menor calidad de vida de los pacientes 11 .…”

Are Psychosocial Factors Determinant in the Pain and Social Participation of Patients with Early Knee Osteoarthritis? A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Social participation is a frequently overlooked variable, yet it has previously been associated with higher mortality rates [ 36 ]. Previously, less social participation has been associated in patients with OA, and it has been suggested that it could be caused by poorer physical ability [ 37 ]. In this regard, it has been suggested that depression can be understood as a continuum of affective disorders developed by the influence of biopsychosocial factors.…”

Patient self-reported functioning by pain severity and usual analgesic treatment among older adults with osteoarthritis: analysis of the 2017 Spanish National Health Survey

“…[21] also found a signi cant association between pain severity and impact thereof on both BADLs and IADLs in older adults with OA among other disorders. The European Project on OSteoArthritis (EPOSA study), aimed at investigating the consequences of the most common forms of OA in older adults using data from six European countries, including Spain [37], found that clinical OA, present in one or two sites (hip and knee), or in two or three sites (hip, knee, and hand), increased the risk of social isolation, cognitive impairment and worse walking and physical activity [38,39]. These ndings are consistent with our analysis, particularly in the moderate to severe pain group, although the EPOSA study did not analyze whether the presence of pain interferes with activities of daily living [40].…”