Abstract
Introduction
Globally, women aged 50 years old or above have been more vulnerable to osteoporosis than men, with approximately one-third of women, and one-fifth of men have been facing this health condition by their 50th birth day. Their risk of exposure to osteoporosis worsens with age. This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices with regard to osteoporosis among women aged 45-65 years.
Methods
A cross-sectional study design was used with a multistage sampling approach. The sample size was calculated using Open Epi with 163 total samples. We used Stata V14.2 for the data analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate the mean (SD) for continuous variables and the frequency and proportion for categorical variables such as level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to osteoporosis. Body mass index (BMI) and overall KAP scores were calculated.
Results
Approximately 58% of the women were aged 45-55 years old. Slightly more than 50% of the women had normal range of BMI (18.5-24.9) 38.7% of women had low level of osteoporosis knowledge, and nearly 61% had a moderate level respectively. Women reported that osteoporosis had been caused by menopause age (41%) and calcium deficiency (46%). Approximately 42% of the women reported not worrying much about their osteoporosis, while 55% of them agreed that when women became older, they would be more vulnerable to osteoporosis. Less than 13% had good practice of preventive measure regarding osteoporosis, while close to 80% had a moderate level. Eighty-three percent of the women never had their bone density measured to monitor their bone density level after menopause, while 9.2% of them ever experienced bone fracture.
Conclusions
Overall, women aged 45-65 years living in Svay Romeat, Khsach Kandal had a low level of knowledge and preventive practice related to osteoporosis. Additionally, a high level of a negative attitude toward osteoporosis prevention has been observed, indicating a lack of readiness for preventive measures after menopause. Therefore, community health promotion should be in place to raise awareness and preventive measures toward osteoporosis for these women.