Association between Daily Physical Activities and Clinical Knee Osteoarthritis: A Community-Based Study

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of disability, especially in the knee. The relationship between daily physical activities and knee OA remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the association between daily physical activities and knee OA in an Indonesian population. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Community-Oriented Program for Control of Rheumatic Diseases (COPCORD) survey in Jakarta. Information on age, sex, body mass index, daily physical activities, occupational types, and sports participation was collected through interviews. Knee OA was identified using the American College of Rheumatology clinical classification criteria. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the associations between these factors and knee OA. Results: A total of 534 participants were included, with a median age of 47 years (range: 18–82). Among them, 71 (13.3%) met the criteria for knee OA. Female sex (prevalence ratio PR 3.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.63–5.71), obesity (PR 2.51, 95% CI 1.45–4.36), and age ≥50 years (PR 6.16, 95% CI 3.42–11.12) were significantly associated with knee OA in multivariate analysis. While laborious and housekeeping jobs were linked to OA in bivariate analysis, this association was not significant in the multivariate model. No significant associations were found between knee OA and daily physical activities, including standing, walking, squatting, climbing, knee-bending, cycling, and carrying. Conclusion: Daily physical activities were not significantly associated with knee OA. However, established risk factors such as female sex, obesity, and age ≥50 years were confirmed to be significant predictors of knee OA in this study.