| Learning Objective #1: to understand the knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors of women with and without a family history of osteoporosis. | |||
| Learning Objective #2: to compaire the difference between two groups in osteoporosis knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors. |
No previous study has examined knowledge, health beliefs, and health-related behaviors in first-degree relatives (FDRs) of osteoporosis sufferers, especially focusing on Asian women.
This study explored osteoporosis knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors of women with a family history of osteoporosis, and drew a comparison with women with no such history.
This study recruited women at a large public health center in northern Taiwan. A questionnaire was applied on FDRs and non-FDRs women with a focus on osteoporosis knowledge, health beliefs, and behaviors. Descriptive analysis was initially conducted. Differences between FDRs and non- FDRs were rated via Student's t-tests for continuous variables and the X2 test for categorical variables.
Overall, most of the participants were aware of some osteoporosis-related information but the proportions of correct responses to the questions that tested knowledge between FDRs and non-FDRs were only 44.0% and 42%, respectively. Meanwhile, participants in the FDRs group not only reported higher concern in developing the disease but also perceived higher barriers compared to the non-FDRs group. As the study demonstrates, for health-related behaviors, the FDRs group did not undertake actual preventive behaviors, and only bone mineral density screening behavior differed significantly from the non-FDRs group.
This study highlights the inadequate information on osteoporosis and constraining beliefs of FDRs women. Additionally, since preventive behaviors of osteoporosis are not noticed in FDRs group, community health nurses and researches should make participants' concerns and assist women to reduce the difficulties of taking practically preventive behaviors not merely by the bone density results.
This investigation reviews the knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors of the FDRs group for Taiwanese women with osteoporosis. The results of this work can be used to provide effective implementation guidelines for preventing osteoporosis especially for women with a family history of the disease.
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See more of The 17th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice (19-22 July 2006)