[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between fracture
and quality of life in Korean adults receiving treatment for osteoporosis based on the
2010 Korean Community Health Survey (KCHS). [Subjects and Methods] This study utilized the
raw data of the 2010 KCHS. In the survey, osteoporosis was assessed in 228,903 subjects,
excluding 326 for whom there was insufficient data. There were 17,387 subjects with
osteoporosis confirmed by a doctor’s diagnosis and 9,419 of them were being treated for
osteoporosis at the time of the survey. [Results] Among the patients being treated, those
with fractures had a significantly lower QOL than patients who did not experience
fractures. The lower QOL scores were caused by hip, vertebral and wrist fractures, and in
all cases, QOL was significantly lower. Greater numbers of fractures significantly lowered
QOL scores compared to participants without fractures. [Conclusion] Fractures in patients
receiving treatment for osteoporosis have a direct impact on QOL. Among the different
types of fractures, hip fractures resulted in the lowest scores. Therefore, to avoid
additional fractures caused by inappropriate management of osteoporosis, we suggest that
there is a need to improve fall related self-efficacy and prevention programs.