Subtheme	Study	Direct participant data	Author description of data
Impact of exercise on the effects of OA	Campbell 2001	"Since I started strengthening these muscles it seems I don't fall over so much which is good…" p.135. "I still do [the exercises] and I remember to stand the correct way without even thinking about it now…[The pain] has been a lot better, much better, and I can do things better. Dressing ‐ I don't have to hold on to anything, I can balance now and in fact, you know, I find it a great improvement." p.136. "I was able to do [the exercises] pretty easily but it didn't appear to me to make a lot of difference…I carried them on during the time I was taking part in the programme although I've dropped them since." p.136.	High levels of continued compliance were closely related to the perception that the physiotherapy intervention was effective. Those who noticed an improvement in their knee symptoms were much more likely to comply than those who did not. However, if the benefits of the physiotherapy were not perceived as sufficient, or there was an allergic reaction to the tape, non‐compliance was a rational outcome. p.136.
	Hendry 2006	"Exercise is the best thing for relieving the pain." p.561. "Exercise doesn't help pain but it gets it going, improves stiffness and mobility." p.561. "Exercise doesn't help my knees at all." p.561.	Some people found that exercise was helpful for relieving pain; other people found that pain persisted, but stiffness and mobility improved; other people found no improvement in knee symptoms. p.560.
	Hinman 2016	"The pain is different pain and I feel that I can do things easier now than I could a while back." p.486.	None reported.
	Hurley 2010	"…the exercises we did at (centre) were helping. and see I haven't had the pain…it was very helpful." p.7 "…I felt generally strong, you know. Walking up stairs, I mean, at times I used to have to go up one step at a time, but then after the exercise I could just walk up the stairs and I was even beginning to try to walk normal…" p.7. "…I was disappointed, because I hoped, I just hoped…but it didn't sort of do what I wanted it to do for my knees and I don't think anything will…I think your age, as you get older, you know, you get a bit dodgy." p.7. "…If I can get myself back to a little bit of [line dancing] then I kind of umm, my life is kind of coming back to normality, you know, cause it can take over your life a bit as I say, you are scared of what to do and what not to do…" p.7.	Most participants found the programme "interesting" and "informative," bringing "small" to "life‐changing" improvements in pain and function (i.e. walking, domestic and social activities, getting on and off buses, driving). They felt less tired and had a general sense of better physical well‐being. p.6. The physical and psychological improvements returned a degree of normality to people's lives. Some returned to previous activities they had begun to avoid for fear of harm, or take up activities to increase their level of physical activity. p.6. 2 participants were "disappointed" in the programme, experiencing little or no benefit from. This may have been a factor in the participants who withdrew from the study. The small number of people who found the programme ineffective makes it difficult to explore the reasons for ineffectiveness, but the 2 participants believed themselves too old or their symptoms too severe to enable them to benefit from exercise, and were sceptical and pessimistic about all interventions. p.6.
	Larmer 2014b; Larmer 2014a	"It's just a relief to get into the water to get out of pain." p.91. "It takes your mind off, my pain. It's there all the time but when I get into the water, it lifts away from me." p.91.	Pain relief was described as a benefit from hydrotherapy and was ascribed to warmth and buoyancy…Not only did the pain itself ease, but hydrotherapy helped participants shift the focus from the constant pain that they were experiencing. p.91.
	Moody 2012	None reported	Participants described the perceived health benefits they received from attending the programme, such as an increase in movement or mobility, an improvement in breathing, a decrease in their pain levels, balance had improved and a reduction in falls. p.66.
	Petursdottir 2010	"Exercising has a good effect on everything, including the heart." p.1020	Many benefits of exercising concerning the OA symptoms were mentioned. Other general effects were also mentioned, such as increased fitness and a better heart condition. p.1020.
	Stone 2015	"Sometimes, after a long day, I'll throw some ice on my knees, take a hot bath after. It feels great…Using the heat was my favorite part of my physiotherapy…That is probably the only way I could handle exercising." p.14. "The physiotherapist professionally guided me to feel less pain. It made me want to do exercises on my own." p.14.	Pain relief. When participants were able to moderate their pain effectively, they were motivated toward contemplating physical activity adoption. Participants commonly found heat and hydrotherapy helpful for pain management. p.14. Participants also noted that positive experiences with physiotherapy inspired them toward physical activity.
	Thorstensson 2006	"…exercise hurts. The pain was almost unbearable but I still carried on. Yes, it was very strenuous, but that's how it is, the pain becomes increasingly worse, I think…it just becomes more and more painful." p.55. "…for example, walking longer distances, there are limits, but nevertheless longer walks without experiencing pain. It is a huge difference. So it was very positive…it makes it possible to work more and you can do more enjoyable things too…Go fishing and hunting, walking the dog. All those things, like simply going for a walk." p.55. "…when I have been walking for a while, the pain goes away, which makes me happy." p.55. "…exercise can help, I am convinced about that, although it did not work for me…the damage was too great when I started. It had gone too far. If one had started to exercise five or six years earlier, it might have helped." "In my case…the damage became worse, it only led to more pain instead of improvement." p.56. "it [the exercise] was beneficial and it helped in the short term. However, had I not received injections I would never have been able to work for so long. It is thanks to them that I have been able to work for the past five or six years or since I got osteoarthritis. That is a fact." p.56.	To experience symptom relief. This conception contained experiences of the effects of exercise on pain and other symptoms. Statements ranged from total pain relief to a worsening of symptoms. p.55. To deprecate; the belief that exercise could cause harm or be unnecessary in that the informants considered other treatments to be more effective. p.56.
	Veenhof 2006	"I continue with my exercises, they are integrated in my daily living. I really know these exercises have beneficial effects and that motivates me to continue with my exercises. The main motivation to do all this is to prevent an operation to get a new hip." p.275. "Although I experience the same level of pain, I have learned to continue with my activities and I realise that I achieve more because of that." p.275.	First, the initial motivation of the participants played an important role. Some participants were motivated to reach short‐term goals, e.g. to decrease pain, while other people were motivated to reach long‐term goals, e.g. to postpone an operation or to live independently for as long as possible. It appeared that all adherent participants were initially motivated to reach long‐term goals, while all non‐adherent participants reported a short‐term initial goal or had no specific goal. These participants tended to stop performing their activities as soon as the short‐term goal was obtained. Therefore, there seems to be a relationship between the initial motivation in visiting a physiotherapist and exercise adherence. p.275.