Fig. 1

Relationship between categories. Core categories: ‘Negative experiences’ and ‘Coping with difficulties’. Under each core category, three main categories were created. ‘Negative experiences’ includes ‘Self-analysis on the cause of knee OA’, ‘Difficulties in daily life due to knee symptoms’ and ‘Psychological barrier’. ‘Coping with difficulties’ includes ‘How to deal with knee pain and difficulty in moving’, ‘Information considered useful to cope with knee OA’, and ‘Importance of connecting with others’