[Sports Activity Following Joint Arthroplasty: Experiences and Expectations of Elderly Patients--Findings from a Qualitative Content Analysis of Guided Interviews]. / Sportliche Aktivität nach Gelenkersatz: Erfahrungen und Erwartungen älterer Rehabilitanden- Ergebnisse einer qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse leitfadengestützter Interviews.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The study investigated specific motives and barriers of sports activities in elderly patients with hip or knee arthroplasty. METHODS: We conducted guided interviews and analysed them by content analysis. RESULTS: 7 women and 8 men were interviewed. In total, we coded 520 passages; on average 34.7 (SD=11.1) per interview. Our findings document severe preoperative handicaps and identified a variety of sports activities which were practiced before treatment. The most emphasized motive was the social function of sports. The main barriers were the self-definition as a sick and elderly person and insecurity and concerns over the course of illness and healing. Very constraining advises on sports activities without consideration of the individual experience in sports were not perceived as helpful. CONCLUSION: Counselling on sports activities following joint replacement needs to consider individual motives, barriers and previous sports experience in order to be perceived as supportive.