ABSTRACT

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent chronic degenerative joint condition associated with aging, joint overuse, abnormalities, and prior injuries. Knowledge and awareness of OA can significantly impact various aspects of individuals’ lives such as their likelihood to seek support, engage in physical activities, participate in social and leisure activities, maintain emotional well-being, and choose appropriate management options.

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and awareness of osteoarthritis and its risk factors among residents of Benin metropolis.

Method: A cross sectional study design including Two hundred and forty two (242) participants (101 males and 141 females) were recruited via convenience sampling technique. A validated questionnaire was used to assess the level of knowledge and awareness regarding osteoarthritis. Descriptive statistics of frequency and percentages were used to summarize the data while inferential statistics of Chi square test was used to determine the association between sociodemographic variables and level of knowledge with alpha level set at < 0.05.

Results: Overall, 34.3% of the study participants demonstrated a good knowledge level regarding OA, while 65.7% showed a poor knowledge level. Result also shows that age (X2=20.188, p= <0.001), marital status (X2=23.335 p= <0.001), religion (X2=14.20, p= <0.001) and educational level (X2=19.163, p= <0.001) had a significant association with level of knowledge regarding osteoarthritis.

Conclusion: Despite OA being a leading cause of disability in the elderly and a prevalent age-related degenerative joint disease, more than half of the respondents demonstrated poor knowledge and awareness of the condition.

Keywords: Osteoarthritis, Knowledge, awareness, Benin city