Changing the Osteoarthritis Narrative in Aotearoa New Zealand
Date
Authors
O'Brien, Daniel
Holt, Elizabeth
McLeod, Dell
Molyneux, Prue
Meiring, Rebecca
Tombs, Kore
Supervisor
Item type
Journal Article
Degree name
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
CSIRO Publishing
Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) affects one in ten adults in Aotearoa New Zealand, yet care remains fragmented and under-prioritised. The 2025 Aotearoa Osteoarthritis Summit explored re-framing OA through a lifespan, equity-focused lens. Summit attendees contribution to a collaborative workshop at the event highlighted misconceptions, harmful “wear and tear” narratives, and inconsistent information. Attendees called for empowering, strengths-based messaging, culturally responsive care, and early, lifelong joint-health strategies. Recommendations included myth-busting, accessible education, community support, and integrated non-surgical management. Equity for Māori, Pasifika, rural, and low-income communities was emphasised. Changing the OA narrative requires collaboration, consistent messaging, and scalable frameworks to improve outcomes nationwide.Description
Keywords
4203 Health Services and Systems, 42 Health Sciences, Osteoarthritis, Arthritis, Aging, Musculoskeletal, 4 Quality Education, 1110 Nursing, 1117 Public Health and Health Services
Source
The Journal of Primary Health Care, ISSN: 1172-6156 (Print); 1172-6156 (Online), CSIRO Publishing, HC25188-. doi: 10.1071/hc25188
DOI
Rights statement
© 2026 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)