Predictors of Home Exercise Adherence in Older People with Osteoarthritis

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Purpose: To identify factors associated with adherence to prescribed exercises in elderly, community-dwelling people with knee and/or hip osteoarthritis. Methods: Logistic regression was used to investigate associations among variables at the beginning of a home exercise program, after 4 weeks of performing exercises (test 2), and at the end of the 8-week program (test 3). Outcome measures were self-reported home exercise adherence at tests 2 and 3, and the predictors were exercise adherence behaviour in the clinic, concurrent physical activity, perception of being physically inactive, and correctness of exercise performance. Results: Home exercise adherence at test 2 was associated with “in-clinic” exercise adherence behaviour at test 2 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.48; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09–2.01). There were significant associations between home exercise adherence at test 3 and (1) home exercise adherence at test 2 (OR = 19.86; 95% CI = 4.84–81.56); (2) concurrent physical activity at test 3 (OR = 5.58; 95% CI = 1.15–27.05); and (3) the perception of not being physically active at test 1 (OR = 0.07; 95% CI = 0.01–0.52). No associations were found between home exercise adherence and correctness of exercise performance or between home exercise adherence at test 2 and concurrent physical activity at test 2. Conclusions: People who closely adhered to prescribed exercises in the clinic were more likely to adhere at home. Home exercise adherence in weeks 1 to 4 was the strongest predictor of home exercise adherence in weeks 5 to 8. Participants who were physically active at the time of the home program were more likely to perform their home exercises, whereas those who perceived themselves to be inactive at the time of exercise prescription were less likely to maintain exercise at home.