Abstract
This study was carried out to identify the factors influencing a subjective evaluation of gait by female subjects undergoing total hip arthroplasty (hereafter THA), and to understand the extent to which each of these factors affects gait in these patients. A survey was administered to 112 female patients before and after THA. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed using gait as dependent variable and factors influencing gait as explanatory variables. The following factors were found to influence the subjective evaluation of gait by female subjects undergoing THA: pain (β=0.420), leg length discrepancy (LLD) (β=−0.271), walking ability (β=0.240) and self-esteem (β=0.131). These variables explained 57.9% of the variance. Findings from the present research suggest that a proper understanding of a subjective evaluation of gait requires the evaluation of pain, LLD, walking ability, and self-esteem of each patient. This understanding will, in turn, help us motivate THA patients for their rehabilitation taking into account their subjective concerns, which at the same time will allow us to provide nursing interventions that encourage patients to become more active in their own recovery process.
