Introduction. Osteoarthritis is the most common chronic disease of the joints and the main cause of pain in the musculoskeletal system among populations in developed countries. The World Health Organization recognized it is one of the most important civilizational threats. Currently, about 2 million people are estimated to suffer from osteoarthritis in Poland. Aim. The aim of the study was to assess the level of health behaviors among patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis treated at the orthopedic department. Material and methods. The study group consisted of 58 patients with clinically diagnosed osteoarthritis, planned for surgical treatment at the orthopedic department in hospital in Gdansk. The method of a diagnostic survey was used in the study. The research tool was the author’s own questionnaire and the Inventory of Health Behaviors questionnaire by Zygfryd Juczyński. Results. The average result obtained for the studied population is 91.28 points. The lowest result obtained in the group of respondents was 65 points. Conclusions. People diagnosed with osteoarthritis treated at the orthopedic department present a high level of health behaviors. Socio-demographic and clinical factors do not significantly influence the level of health behaviors.

Key words: health behaviors, osteoarthritis, patient.