A population perspective of osteoporosis. How common? What impact? How modifiable?

Abstract

Issue addressed To determine the prevalence of diagnosed osteoporosis, to explore the level of perceived risk of people without the disease, to investigate qualitatively the reasons for the levels of perceived risk, the knowledge of what osteoporosis is and what effects the disease has on quality of life and well‐being. Methods Cross‐sectional household survey undertaken in metropolitan and country South Australia (SA) in 1998 with 3,001 randomly selected adults (18 years and over) interviewed. Respondents from the survey who gave consent were recruited into three focus groups (based on those with and without the disease). Results Osteoporosis is still considerably under‐diagnosed, with 2.9% of the SA adult population reporting being told by a doctor they have the condition (rising to 15.9% of females aged 65 years and over). Perception of risk of getting osteoporosis, for both males and females, is at variance with actual risk with only 9.2% of females and 3% of males believing they are at high risk. Perceived risk was also determined, with 50% of females and 69% of males having a low level of perceived risk. Qualitative interviews showed that people without osteoporosis believe osteoporosis has a low impact on sufferers. Those with the disease highlighted the impact the disease had on their whole quality of life as well as their mobility.

Evaluation of effectiveness of class-based nutrition intervention on changes in soft drink and milk consumption among young adults

“…This is an encouraging finding because females are at an increased risk to develop osteoporosis in later life if calcium intake is compromised during adolescence and young adulthood. Meanwhile, males switched their milk choices from low fat milk to fat free milk since their total milk consumption did not change, which may demonstrate males may not recognize osteoporosis as an immediate danger due to a broad notion that osteoporosis an "old woman's disease" [ 28 ]. It may be that the males chose fat free milk over low fat milk in an attempt to reduce fat intake, which was an important educational component in the classroom lectures and projects.…”

Knowledge change regarding osteoporosis prevention: translating recommended guidelines into user-friendly messages within a community forum

“…Effective public health messages that provide clear recommendations and develop osteoporosis-related knowledge are vital in supporting efforts in osteoporosis prevention. Although the modification of lifestyle behaviours may contribute significantly to reducing the risk of this disease, Australian communities have been reported in a number of studies as having a lack of knowledge about osteoporosis [ 4 - 7 ], and thus a limited ability to competently reduce their risk of this disease by modifying their lifestyles.…”

A Cultural Models Approach to Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment

“…One reason could be a lack of knowledge about the condition, as suggested by the study cited in our introduction (Taylor et al, 2003). A case in point was one participant in the community case study who had never experienced a fracture and reported having no knowledge of osteoporosis.…”

“…However, the statistics indicate that these measures are not universally effective. For example, a large Australian population survey reported that men and women across all age groups not only underestimated the risk of getting osteoporosis in the future but also had little knowledge of the disease and its risk factors (Taylor et al, 2003). This study of 3,001 randomly selected adults found that the overall perceived risk of getting osteoporosis was low (59.7%) or moderate (40.6%).…”

“…Osteoporosis is estimated to cost the Australian taxpayer some AU$7 billion a year (The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, 2010). Most people who have osteoporosis do not know it (Taylor, Gill, Phillips, & Leach, 2003), which represents a lost opportunity for timely helpseeking and behavioral change to mitigate risk of fracture and its sequelae. Furthermore, the large numbers of people classified as being at "modest risk" in fact sustain more than half of all fractures occurring in the community (Pasco et al, 2006)-that is, outside of hospital or community care settings-suggesting that public health measures that motivate behavioral change may be more effective in preventing fracture than attempting to provide medical therapy to such a high proportion of the overall population.…”