Introduction:

Osteoarthritis is a rheumatological disease that produces a significant impact in functionality on people who suffer from it, generating disability at different levels. This disability is measured and certified in Chile through the Commission for Preventive Medicine and Disability under criteria established in the framework of the International Classification of Functioning. However, it is unknown if sociodemographic indicators and the disability caused by osteoarthritis are related locally.

Objective:

To investigate associations between variables related to health condition, sociodemographic indicators, and disability index on people with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis registered in the National Disability Registry in the Los Rios Region between the years 2017 and 2019.

Methods:

Observational, cross-sectional study, carried out in a prospective and descriptive way in 427 people with osteoarthritis as a main diagnosis, registered in the National Disability Registry in the Los Rios Region. The sample was selected in a non-probabilistic way from the database provided by in the aforementioned region. The Chi-Squared test was used, and results were considered statistically significant if p < 0.05.

Results:

53.9% of the participants presented a mild degree of disability and reduced mobility. 61.1% of the sample were female, predominantly between 56-75 years of age, married, homemakers, primary school as highest level of educational attainment, residence in urban areas, and registered with the National Health Fund. These variables presented show a statistically significant association with the degree of disability. As for those variables related to health condition, the presence of comorbidity and osteoarthritis located mainly in the lower limb predominated, and there was a significant association between the number of affected joints and the degree of disability.

Conclusions:

there is an association between the analyzed factors and the degree of disability, in which sociodemographic factors represented meaningful implications.

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