BACKGROUND: Chronic diseases, especially knee osteoarthritis, are more likely to occur among women with the increase in age. Self-care is an effective strategy for the management of disease in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Therefore, recognizing the dimensions of self-care competence in elderly women with knee osteoarthritis is particularly important for long-term management of the disease. The current study aimed to explain the concept and dimensions of self-care competence in elderly women with knee osteoarthritis. METHODS:  This qualitative study was conducted using a conventional content analysis method proposed by Graneheim and Landman, from March to November 2020 in Mashhad (one of the largest cities in Iran). A total of 19 participants including 11 elderly women with knee osteoarthritis, 4 first-degree relatives and 4 medical staff were selected by the purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth and semi-structured interviews which continued until data saturation was reached. The MAXQDA (Version 10) was used to organize, code, and manage the data.  FINDINGS: Three main themes including "symptom management", "personal growth" and "social cohesion" were emerged as the dimensions of self-care competence in elderly women with knee osteoarthritis. CONCLUSION: Understanding the dimensions of self-care competence as one of the basic needs of the elderly women with knee osteoarthritis who live alone, is very important. Symptoms management, personal growth, and social cohesion as dimensions of self-care competence among this group of the elderly help to develop self-care competence interventions based on their needs.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a chronic disease causing disability in older adults. Self-care is an effective strategy for KOA management  in older adults and clinicians have shown increased interest regarding the challenges of self-care activities in these patients.The present study aimed  to explore the perception of older adults' patients with KOA regarding barriers and challenges faced in their self-care management.    Methods: In this qualitative study, data were collected using purposeful sampling and in-depth semi-structured interviews with 22 older adults with  KOA, their first-degree caregivers, and medical team members in Mashhad, northeast Iran, from April to December 2020. All the interviews were  transcribed verbatim. Interviews continued until reaching data saturation. All interviews were recorded. Data analysis was done using conventional  content analysis according to the technique described by Graneheim and Lundman. The MAXQDA (Version 10) was used to organize, code, and  manage the data. Findings: Three main themes (confusion, confrontation with increasing stresses, and social rupture) were emerged as the barriers and challenges  to self-care among older adults with KOA. Conclusion: The results of this study provide a broad range of context-specific of barriers and challenges to selfcare among older adults with KOA,  which can be used for designing and implementing appropriate interventions to improve self-care in these patients.