Effects of Motivational Interviewing on Pain Self-Efficacy and Exercise Behavior in Individuals With Knee Osteoarthritis

August 14, 2026 updated by: Ismail Saracoglu, Kutahya Health Sciences University

Investigation of the Effects of Motivational Interviewing on Pain Self-Efficacy and Exercise Behavior in Individuals With Knee Osteoarthritis

This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the effects of motivational interviewing added to a neuromuscular exercise and home exercise program on pain self-efficacy, exercise behavior, pain intensity, physical performance, and functional status in individuals with knee osteoarthritis. Sixty individuals diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis will be randomly allocated to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group will receive motivational interviewing in addition to neuromuscular exercise and a home exercise program, whereas the control group will receive neuromuscular exercise and the same home exercise program. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and six weeks after the intervention.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

56

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Türkiye
      • Afyonkarahisar, Türkiye, Turkey (Türkiye), 03100
        • Recruiting
        • AFSÜ Health Application and Research Center, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • İbrahim YUKSEL, Msc.
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Ismail Saracoglu, Phd
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Nuray EYVAZ, MD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis according to American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria
  • Kellgren-Lawrence radiographic grade ≥2
  • Knee pain lasting longer than 3 months

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of joint arthroplasty
  • Body mass index >40 kg/m²
  • Neuromuscular or neurological diseases such as stroke, Parkinson's disease, or multiple sclerosis
  • History of lower-extremity joint fracture
  • Hip osteoarthritis

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Motivational Interviewing + Neuromuscular Exercise + Home Exercise
Participants in this group will receive motivational interviewing in addition to a supervised neuromuscular exercise program and a home exercise program.
Behavioral: Motivational Interviewing
Motivational interviewing will be delivered individually in face-to-face sessions by a researcher trained and certified in motivational interviewing. Sessions will focus on identifying individual barriers and goals, strengthening motivation and commitment to exercise, supporting self-efficacy, and preventing relapse. The intervention will incorporate three stages: increasing exercise motivation, strengthening commitment to exercise, and relapse prevention.
Other: Neuromuscular Exercise Program
Participants will perform neuromuscular exercise sessions five times per week for four weeks. Each 60-minute session will consist of approximately 10 minutes of warm-up, 40 minutes of exercise, and 10 minutes of cool-down. Exercises will include core stabilization and postural control, postural orientation, lower-extremity strengthening, functional exercises, and balance and proprioception exercises. Exercises will be progressed according to participant tolerance and functional performance.
Other: Home Exercise Program
The home exercise program will include isometric strengthening exercises for the quadriceps and hip adductor muscles, straight leg raising, assisted hip and knee flexion, and active knee flexion exercises. Participants will perform the program five days per week, twice daily, for three weeks, with 10 repetitions of each exercise. The program will be explained and demonstrated by a physiotherapist during the first session, and adherence will be followed by telephone contact.
Active Comparator: Neuromuscular Exercise Program
Participants will perform neuromuscular exercise sessions five times per week for four weeks. Each 60-minute session will consist of approximately 10 minutes of warm-up, 40 minutes of exercise, and 10 minutes of cool-down. Exercises will include core stabilization and postural control, postural orientation, lower-extremity strengthening, functional exercises, and balance and proprioception exercises. Exercises will be progressed according to participant tolerance and functional performance.
Other: Neuromuscular Exercise Program
Participants will perform neuromuscular exercise sessions five times per week for four weeks. Each 60-minute session will consist of approximately 10 minutes of warm-up, 40 minutes of exercise, and 10 minutes of cool-down. Exercises will include core stabilization and postural control, postural orientation, lower-extremity strengthening, functional exercises, and balance and proprioception exercises. Exercises will be progressed according to participant tolerance and functional performance.
Other: Home Exercise Program
The home exercise program will include isometric strengthening exercises for the quadriceps and hip adductor muscles, straight leg raising, assisted hip and knee flexion, and active knee flexion exercises. Participants will perform the program five days per week, twice daily, for three weeks, with 10 repetitions of each exercise. The program will be explained and demonstrated by a physiotherapist during the first session, and adherence will be followed by telephone contact.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale (ESE)
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately after the 4-week intervention, and 6 weeks after completion of the intervention
The Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale (ESE) measures a person's confidence in their ability to maintain regular physical activity or exercise when facing various internal and external barriers. Different validated versions exist, including Albert Bandura's 18-item scale, an older adult 9-item scale, and a 10-item spinal cord injury adaptation.
Baseline, immediately after the 4-week intervention, and 6 weeks after completion of the intervention
Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ)
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately after the 4-week intervention, and 6 weeks after completion of the intervention
The Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) is a 10-item self-report tool designed to measure a person's confidence in performing daily activities and functioning normally despite ongoing chronic pain. It uses a 7-point scale from 0 to 6, yielding total scores between 0 and 60, where higher scores reflect stronger coping confidence.
Baseline, immediately after the 4-week intervention, and 6 weeks after completion of the intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Numerical Pain Rating Scale
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately after the 4-week intervention, and 6 weeks after completion of the intervention
The Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRs) is a fast, 11-point tool used to measure pain intensity. Patients select a whole number from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable) to rate their discomfort verbally or in writing.
Baseline, immediately after the 4-week intervention, and 6 weeks after completion of the intervention
The WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index)
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately after the 4-week intervention, and 6 weeks after completion of the intervention.
The WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index) is a widely used, self-administered 24-item questionnaire that evaluates pain (5 items), stiffness (2 items), and physical function (17 items) in patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis.
Baseline, immediately after the 4-week intervention, and 6 weeks after completion of the intervention.
Physical Performance 30-Second Sit-to-Stand Test (30s STS)
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately after the 4-week intervention, and 6 weeks after completion of the intervention
The 30s STS measures lower-extremity functional strength by recording the total number of complete sit-to-stand repetitions performed within 30 seconds, with a higher number of repetitions indicating better performance.
Baseline, immediately after the 4-week intervention, and 6 weeks after completion of the intervention
Physical performance timed up and go test (TUG)
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately after 4 week intervention and 6 weeks after competition of the intervention
The TUG measures functional mobility as the time, in seconds, required to stand up from a chair, walk 3 meters, turn, walk back, and sit down, with a shorter completion time indicating better performance.
Baseline, immediately after 4 week intervention and 6 weeks after competition of the intervention
Physical performance 40-meter Walking Test
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately after the 4-week intervention, and 6 weeks after completion of the intervention
The 40mWT assesses walking speed by recording the time required to complete a 40-meter walking course, with a shorter completion time indicating better walking performance. The results of the three tests will be reported separately and will not be combined into a composite score.
Baseline, immediately after the 4-week intervention, and 6 weeks after completion of the intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Kutahya Health Sciences University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

February 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

November 15, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 11, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 14, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

August 17, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

August 17, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 14, 2026

Last Verified

August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • IbrahimPHDtez

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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