Vol. 8, Issue 6 (2019)

Author(s):
Aleena Mary Peter, Jincy Ponnachen, Pooja Thakar, Samadhan Dawkar, NageshShinde and Larry Wagh

Abstract:
Arthritis is an inflammation of one or more joints, causing pain and stiffness that can worsen with age. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis and related condition. More than 50 million adults and 3,00,000 children have some type of arthritis. Common symptoms of arthritis include swelling, pain, stiffness and decreased range of motion. This symptoms can be mild, moderate and severe. Severe arthritis can result in chronic pain, inability to do daily activities and make it difficult to walk or climb stairs. Arthritis can cause permanent joint changes. These changes can be visible, such as knobby finger joints, but often the damage can only be seen on X-ray. Some type of arthritis also affect the heart, eyes, lungs, kidney and skin as well as joints. There is no known cure for arthritis, but advance in science are helping us to identify ways to improve diagnosis and treatment. Aim: To assess the prevalence of arthritis among adults. Objectives: In view of this, a study was undertaken to assess the prevalence of arthritis among adults residing in selected urban areas of Pune city. Material and methods: An exploratory study was conducted to assess the prevalence of arthritis among adults residing in selected areas of Pune city, using a self – structured questionnaire on prevalence of arthritis. 200 adults of above 18 years of age were chosen for the study through non–probability sampling technique. Reliability was conducted on 20 adults of above 18 years of age through test – retest method. Findings of the study: The obtained result data revealed that maximum (33%) adults were from the age group 40 -50 and majority (53%) of adults were females and majority (35%) of adults were educated up to higher secondary level. Out of 200 samples, the majority (52.5%) have more signs and symptoms of arthritis and the remaining (47.5%) have no enough symptoms indicating arthritis. Conclusion: In the present study, following conclusion were drawn from findings of the study. Majority of the participants are not aware about management of arthritis even though they have good access to technology and being well-educated. Hence, the researcher is recommending to organize awareness programmes and health education by nursing personnel on management the arthritis among adults.