Educational status and knowledge level of pre- and postmenopausal women about osteoporosis and risk factors: A cross-sectional study in a group of Turkish female subjects

Abstract

Background:

Most women are unaware of the risk factors for osteoporosis (OP). In an effort to prevent the development of OP, women need to have a raised awareness on this issue. The aims of this study were to determine any differences in the level of awareness and knowledge about OP between pre- and postmenopausal women.

Methods:

Three hundred and six women who presented to the outpatient clinic of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department were included into the study. Demographic characteristics of the subjects were recorded. The participants were interviewed via an OP awareness questionnaire, which was designed to determine their knowledge of OP and risk factors.

Results:

The mean ages of the 126 pre- and 180 postmenopausal women were 41.3 ± 5.9 and 58.9 ± 8.1 years, respectively. Thirty-two percent of premenopausal and 51% of postmenopausal women had heard about OP ( $\mathit{p}\mathrm{<}0.001$ ), but the mean scores of OP knowledge according to the OP questionnaire were not different between the groups ( $\mathit{p}\mathrm{>}0.05$ ). Both pre- and postmenopausal women with a higher level of education demonstrated better knowledge of OP based on their awareness questionnaire score ( $\mathit{p}\mathrm{<}0.001$ ).

Conclusion:

Although half of the pre- and postmenopausal women reported having some awareness of OP, their level of knowledge was poor, particularly with regard to the risk factors associated with the condition and its complications. Having information about the risks of OP and a better understanding of the health beliefs of those at risk are important, as both may play a major role in influencing an individual’s OP-preventing behaviors.