Awareness about osteoporosis among university students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Osteoporosis is a global public health problem. It is estimated that about 9.0 million osteoporotic fractures occurred in the year 2000 and that many were due to osteoporosis. Awareness about osteoporosis and factors contributing to it is of great benefit and is a major public health challenge. The objective of this study is the level of awareness about osteoporosis among university students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Questionnaires were distributed among university students to assess their osteoporosis knowledge level. One hundred questionnaires were collected and the osteoporosis knowledge level was assessed. SPSS was used to analyze the data. Over three-quarters of participating students (77%) have a high level of knowledge about osteoporosis. There is a statistically significant positive correlation between the level of osteoporosis knowledge and the length of study at KAU and the marital status (p=<0.01). Furthermore, there is a statistically significant negative correlation between the level of osteoporosis knowledge and economic status. Raising knowledge about osteoporosis is an important and effective tool in preventing osteoporosis.