Knowledge of Osteoporosis

Objective: To assess the knowledge regarding Osteoporosis & its prevention among the women attending O. P. D. Materials and methods: In the present study all samples were from the age group of 60 years & above, total 60 samples were selected out of which majority of the samples had Age at menarche in the age group of 12-14 years 65%. The remaining samples belong to age group of 15-17 years 35%. For Age at Menopause, majority of samples attained menopause at Age group of 40-45 years 48.33% followed by 46-50 Years 43.33% and 51 & above 8.33% were Females (53.1%).37.5% belonged to the age group of 19 years. The participants had source of Information, majority of samples 43.33 % had Television as the source of Information. 31.66% had Books, 18.33% had Newspaper & 6.66% Internet. In view of their Occupation, majority of samples 63.33% had other than Business 18.33%, Private Service 10.00% and Government service 8.33%. Majority of samples 86.33% had no history of fractures in the past, whereas 6.66% had fractures in both Lower limbs as well as Upper limbs in the Past. The findings of the study revealed that majority of the students had an Average knowledge scores (70 %) and 28.30% students had Poor Knowledge score. 1.7 % had Good Knowledge score. Osteoporosis, or porous bone (fragile bone disease), is a chronic, progressive metabolic bone disease characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to increased bone fragility. One in two women and one in four men over age 50 will sustain an osteoporosis-related fracture during their lifetime. Osteoporosis is known as the "silent thief" because it slowly and insidiously over many years robs the skeleton of its banked resources. Bones can eventually become so fragile that they cannot withstand normal mechanical stress1. With osteoporosis, the bones become progressively porous, brittle, and fragile; they fracture easily under stresses that would not break normal bone. Osteoporosis frequently results in compression fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine, fractures of the neck and intertrochanteric region of the femur, and Colles' fractures of the wrist.