Assessment of the Effectiveness of Educating Elderly Residents in an Urban Community in South India on Managing Post-COVID-19 Musculoskeletal Complications

Objective This study aimed to enhance post-COVID-19 patients' understanding of musculoskeletal issues and their management through a structured educational program in the elderly population. Methodology The study included 60 participants. Each participant was assessed using sociodemographic tools and a structured knowledge questionnaire on post-COVID-19 musculoskeletal complications among elderly individuals. A pretest was conducted on all participants using these tools. Subsequently, a seven-day structured training program was administered, followed by a post-test using the same tools. A comparative analysis was performed to evaluate the difference in understanding between the pretest and post-test results. Results The pretest comprehension levels in the below-average and average groups showed a mean and standard deviation of 3±1.5 and 14.5±2.0, respectively, with a statistically significant p-value of 0.0001 and a t-value of 15.6. In the post-test, proficiency levels in the average and above-average groups demonstrated a mean and standard deviation of 18.2±1.5 and 24.5±3.6, respectively, with a statistically significant t-value of 6.88 and a p-value of 0.0001. Among the elderly participants, there was a substantial improvement in competence between the pre-and post-test scores, with a highly significant p-value of 0.0001. Conclusion Our study concluded that the elderly population was particularly vulnerable to various diseases and complications due to aging, making it essential to provide education on managing post-COVID-19 musculoskeletal issues.