Digital Knee Osteoarthritis Mindset Intervention

Osteoarthritis affects 7% of the global population and is a leading cause of disability globally. Physical activity improves health outcomes, weight management, and knee function for people with knee osteoarthritis and should be considered first-line treatment. Yet, physical activity levels in this population are low compared to those without knee osteoarthritis. Existing knowledge: Emerging research has highlighted the powerful influence of mindsets about exercise on engagement in physical activity. Mindsets are core assumptions about a domain or category that orient individuals to a particular set of attributions, expectations, and goals (a "meaning system"). In individuals with knee osteoarthritis, mindsets about the appeal of physical activity relate to future physical activity levels and one's chosen symptom management strategy, and mindsets about osteoarthritis relate to knee symptoms. The investigators developed a digital mindset intervention to improve mindsets about exercise and osteoarthritis in individuals with knee osteoarthritis. The investigators piloted the intervention on 21 individuals with knee osteoarthritis throughout the United States. Participants improved in exercise and osteoarthritis mindsets. However, this was a small sample size, a control group was not used, and it was cross-sectional, thus, not able to evaluate changes in physical activity and osteoarthritis symptoms. Need for a trial: A digital, low-cost, and, thus, scalable intervention to improve mindsets about osteoarthritis and exercise may improve pain and function and physical activity levels for the millions of individuals affected with knee osteoarthritis. A large randomized trial is therefore needed to evaluate if our mindset intervention leads to improvements in physical activity levels and osteoarthritis symptoms and, further, if these changes are due to more adaptive mindsets about exercise and osteoarthritis.