ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the changes in knee pain, a dominant cause of physical disability, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, and to identify factors affecting the changes in knee pain. METHODS: We analyzed the pre- and post-COVID-19 longitudinal dataset of the Nagahama Study. Knee pain was assessed using the Knee Society Score (KSS). The estimated KSS from the age and sex using regression model in the pre- and post-COVID-19 dataset was compared. Factors including the activity score, educational level, and various impacts of COVID-19 were analyzed for correlation analyses with changes in KSS. RESULTS: Data collected from 6409 participants showed statistically significant differences in KSS, pre- (mean = 22.0; SD = 4.4) and post-COVID-19 (mean = 19.5; SD = 6.4). Low activity score (p = 0.008), low educational level (p < 0.001) and undesirable financial impact (p = 0.030) were independently associated with knee pain exacerbation. CONCLUSION: The harmful effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on knee pain were suggested. People should be encouraged to engage in physical activities, such as walking, even despite the state of emergency. Furthermore, social support for economically disadvantaged groups may improve healthcare access, preventing the acute exacerbations of knee pain.