ASSOCIATION OF AGE, GENDER AND NUTRITION STATUS WITH WOMAC SCORE IN KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS PATIENTS: A CROS SECTIONAL STUDY

Knee osteoarthritis is a degenerative and chronic joint disease in which gender, age and weight are the main risk factors that significantly affect the quality of life of patients with knee OA. These three factors not only play a role in the progression and severity of knee OA, but also affect pain perception, activity limitations, and response to therapy. This study aims to determine the association of age, gender and nutritional status with WOMAC score in patients with knee osteoarthritis. This study included 138 patients with knee OA in outpatient clinics at Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo General Hospital and Hasanuddin University Hospital, Makassar, Indonesia. Patients' quality of life was measured using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index. Among 138 patients with knee OA, 27 (19.6%) had good quality of life and 111 patients (80.4%) had poor quality of life. Overweight patients were 8.1 -fold more likely to have a poor WOMAC score (p < 0.001; OR: 8.170 95% CI: 3.196-20.883). Knee OA patients less than 60 years old and female were 3.5 -fold more likely to have a poor WOMAC score (p = 0.035; OR: 3.524; 95% CI: 1.056-11.762). Knee OA patients less than 60 years old with overweight were 9 -fold more likely to have a poor WOMAC score (p = 0.000; OR: 9.000; 95% CI: 2.437-33.244). Knee OA patients over 60 years old and obese had a 12.2 -fold greater chance of having a poor WOMAC score (p = 0.000; OR: 12.222; 95% CI: 2.433-61.402). There were significant differences in pain, stiffness, and physical function variables based on nutritional status (p<0.05). This study shows that overweight is an independent risk factor for poor WOMAC score and symptom severity in knee OA patients. These results emphasize the need for specific interventions for overweight knee OA patients, such as diet, physical exercise, and nutritional counseling, to prevent impaired quality of life.