Factors associated with functional limitations in the daily living activities of Japanese hip osteoarthritis patients

AIM As society ages, there is a vast number of elderly people with locomotive syndrome. In this study, the factors associated with functional limitations in daily living activities evaluated by female hip osteoarthritis (OA) patients were investigated. METHODS This study was a cross-sectional study. The subjects were 353 female patients who were newly diagnosed with hip OA at an orthopedic clinic with no history of hip joint surgery. Outcome indices were functional limitations in two daily living activities obtained from a questionnaire completed by the patients: (i) standing up (standing from a crouched position) and (ii) stair-climbing (climbing and/or descending stairs). The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed for explanatory variables using the proportional odds model in logistic regression to evaluate their associations with functional limitations. RESULTS Functional limitations in standing up were associated with heavy weight (third tertile vs. first tertile: 1.91, 1.11-3.27), participation in sports at school (0.62, 0.40-0.98), parity (vs. nullipara: 1.96, 1.08-3.56), old age and OA stage. Associations with functional limitations in stair-climbing were seen with short height (< 151.0 cm vs. ≥ 156.0 cm: 2.05, 1.02-4.12), bilateral involvement (vs. unilateral: 1.71, 1.01-2.88), old age and OA stage. CONCLUSION Old age, OA stage, heavy weight, parity, shorter height and bilateral OA were associated with functional limitations in standing up and/or stair-climbing, whereas participation in sports such as club activities in school maintained standing up.