Factors associated with patient activation among residents with osteoarthritis in a rural community of korea

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of patient activation and analyze factors related to patient activation among residents with osteoarthritis in a rural community of Korea. Methods: A survey design was employed. A total number of 207 residents with osteoarthritis in a rural community of Korea was recruited using direct interview method in January, 2013. The instrument included the Patient Activation Measure (PAM) with 13 items to assess patients' knowledge, skills and confidence for self-management, Korean Western Ontario McMaster Universities (K-WOMAC), Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), Short Test of Functional Health Literacy (STOHFLA), Korean Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (K-CES-D) and Patient Satisfaction. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, chi-square test, t-test, and logistic regression analysis. Results: The results indicated that 40.6% of the participants had low level activation, while the rest categorized to high level activation. A test of the full model against a constant only model was statistically significant, indicating that the predictors as a set reliably distinguished between low level of activation and high level of activation (chi square =53.280, p<.001 with df = 9). The Wald criterion demonstrated that depression and patient satisfaction contribution to prediction (p <.05). Conclusions: In this study we revealed that those with low depression and satisfaction of clinic services were more likely to take an active role in managing their health and heath care.