AWARENESS AND HEALTH BELIEFS OF FEMALES TOWARDS OSTEOPOROSIS

Background: Osteoporosis is a chronic disease characterized by low bone density and abnormal bone tissue composition. Osteoporosis is a major female health problem; however, it is preventable and can be managed to a great extent. Objective: The bone tissue e study aims to evaluate female's awareness and attitude toward osteoporosis as a major health problem. Methods and Results A cross-sectional study which was conducted on randomly 1000 women. The majority of the participants 720(72%) were not menopausal. And 557(55.7%) of study individuals had heard of osteoporosis, and majority 412(41.2%) of those who heard of osteoporosis are 45-54 years of age. Knowledge and awareness of osteoporosis are strongly related to Marital and Postmenopausal status, Family history of osteoporosis and regularly Exercise with significant p-value < 0.05. Knowledge, perceived risk factors, and attitudes regarding osteoporosis for those heard of osteoporosis were also assessed. Conclusions: Majority of participants showed a good level of knowledge toward osteoporosis and its risk factors and complications. However, their attitudes and behavior towards such a major health problem need more improvement. This gap between knowledge and practice is highly recommended to be fulfilled with public education programs through media and primary health care centers.