BACKGROUND: International guidelines recommend educational intervention to treat knee osteoarthritis. However, they do not specify the type of intervention and the effectiveness of group educational intervention for knee pain is unclear. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to examine the effectiveness of group educational interventions for people over 50 years old with knee pain compared with a control group. DESIGN: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). METHOD: We searched Medline, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and screened for RCTs involving participants over 50 years old that reported the effects of group education on knee pain. We performed meta-analyses and evaluated the methodological quality and evidence quality using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system, respectively. RESULTS: The search retrieved 1,177 studies. Seven RCTs were ultimately included, four of which were subjected to meta-analysis, showing standardized mean differences of -0.22 (95% confidence interval (CI) -0.42 to -0.02, n = 423; I2 = 0% GRADE: low). All studies included in the meta-analysis involved exercise without individualized instruction in addition to group educational intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Group education, when delivered in addition to exercises, significantly reduces knee pain in people over 50 years old.

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