Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards Osteoporosis among General Practitioners Working in Al Majmaah Province, KSA

Abstract

Background: Osteoporosis is the most common metabolic disorder affecting bone which develops because of normal ageing, excessive bone loss during adulthood and impaired development of peak bone mass. Awareness among physicians is vital for the early detection and timely treatment and hence fractures prevention. The present study was carried out to study the knowledge, attitude and practice towards osteoporosis among general practitioners working in Al Majmaah, KSA. Methodology: This crosssectional research was conducted among all the qualified family physicians, general practitioners and resident doctors in Majmaah province, KSA. Data collection was done based on a standardized KAP questionnaire. Results: All the data were entered and analysed according to the intentions of the present work. Good level of knowledge concerning the diagnosis was observed among the study subjects and a high proportion of respondents believed in the preventive strategies of the disease. Responses were obtained from total of43 practitioners who included 23.3% female, and 76.7% male in and around Majmaah province. Majority (72.1%) of the respondent's attitude was that osteoporosis has major effect on the health of the community. In relation to practice aspects, prescription of 76.7% responders includes bisphosphonates as the most commonly used drug for treatment of osteoporosis. Conclusion: A considerable level of knowledge and positive attitude towards osteoporosis was found; however, practices for the prevention of osteoporosis still need improvement. There is a need to extend the medical knowledge of general practitioners in Al Majmaah Province, KSA, regarding the contemporary management of osteoporosis and its risk factors. Professional training programs are required to enhance the practitioner's knowledge and attitude to improve their practices.

Knowledge and Awareness of Osteoporosis: A Survey of Physical Therapy Providers in Saudi Arabia

“…Moreover, the same study found no difference in knowledge among male and female genders regarding osteoporosis [ 7 ]. Ahmed et al found knowledge about osteoporosis did not differ between age groups, and the same was concluded by other studies [ 22 , 28 , 29 ]. The means of the different education groups, on the other hand, were considerably different.…”

“…This study found that health professionals have a strong understanding of osteoporosis, but that there is no significant difference in osteoporosis knowledge between the different subgroups of health professionals (age groups, sex, experience, and specialty). Similarly, there was a considerable level of knowledge and awareness towards understanding OP among different healthcare professionals working in Al Majma'ah city' hospitals [ 22 ].…”

Osteoporosis Awareness in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review of Cross-Sectional Studies

“…In the Qassim region, Alghunaimet al (25)reported that most of their female population had adequate knowledge of some aspects of osteoporosis, and age, gender, and education level were significantly associated with the level of knowledge among the study participants. In Al Majmaah province, Ahmed et al (20) reported that most of the study population of general practitioners had good knowledge scores regarding osteoporosis and they believed in the beneficial role of the application of adequate preventive measures. Moreover, 72.1% of the study population were aware that osteoporosis has a significant impact on the health of the affected patients.…”

Screening and management of osteoporosis: a survey of knowledge, attitude and practice among primary care physicians in Malaysia

“…At present, limited information is available on osteoporosis knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of Malaysian primary care doctors. KAP surveys of osteoporosis done among primary care practitioners in other countries have helped identify gaps that could be acted upon to improve osteoporosis care [ 13 , 14 ]. This study aimed to address the current knowledge and practice gap by assessing the KAP and barriers to osteoporosis screening and management among primary care doctors across Malaysia.…”