A Study to Assess the Osteoporosis Knowledge and Preventive Practice among Menopausal Women: A Community Based Survey

Abstract

Background and Objectives Osteoporosis is a multifactorial and slowly emerging global health problem. Along with menopause, one out of three women between the age group of 50 to 60 years in India suffers from osteoporosis. Indian women have an early age onset of osteoporosis as compared to their Western counterparts. The current study assessed osteoporosis knowledge and preventive practice among menopausal women. The study's objectives were to 1) assess the osteoporosis knowledge and preventive practice among women, 2) find the correlation between the knowledge and preventive practice among menopausal women, and 3) find the association of knowledge and preventive practice with selected demographic variables. Methods A quantitative nonexperimental research approach with a descriptive correlational survey design was adopted in the study. A total of 100 samples between the ages of 45 and 56 years were the participants. Data were collected using demographic proforma, a self-structured knowledge questionnaire, and a preventive practice checklist. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Results The majority of the menopausal women (65%) were between the age group of 53 and 56 years and 79% of menopausal women were having primary education, 77% of them were unskilled workers. Fifty percent of the participants had shown adequate knowledge with a median score of 12 and the remaining half of the participants had a knowledge score < 12. The knowledge score among women was 11.47 ± 2.4 with a maximum score of 17 and the minimum score of 5. With regard to the preventive practice, the participants were 20.12 ± 2.22. Conclusion The study showed a gross deficit in osteoporosis knowledge among menopausal women and they were following unhealthy practices in their lifetime. There is a need to prioritize designing appropriate awareness campaigns regarding osteoporosis among subjects who are at risk, according to their level of literacy.