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A population perspective of osteoporosis. How common? What impact? How modifiable?
Author(s) -
Taylor Anne,
Gill Tiffany,
Phillips Pat,
Leach Gillian
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
health promotion journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.515
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 2201-1617
pISSN - 1036-1073
DOI - 10.1071/he03061
Subject(s) - medicine , osteoporosis , disease , gerontology , demography , quality of life (healthcare) , population , family medicine , risk perception , focus group , cross sectional study , environmental health , perception , psychology , pathology , nursing , business , marketing , neuroscience , sociology
Issue addressed To determine the prevalence of diagnosed osteoporosis, to explore the level of perceived risk of people without the disease, to investigate qualitatively the reasons for the levels of perceived risk, the knowledge of what osteoporosis is and what effects the disease has on quality of life and well‐being. Methods Cross‐sectional household survey undertaken in metropolitan and country South Australia (SA) in 1998 with 3,001 randomly selected adults (18 years and over) interviewed. Respondents from the survey who gave consent were recruited into three focus groups (based on those with and without the disease). Results Osteoporosis is still considerably under‐diagnosed, with 2.9% of the SA adult population reporting being told by a doctor they have the condition (rising to 15.9% of females aged 65 years and over). Perception of risk of getting osteoporosis, for both males and females, is at variance with actual risk with only 9.2% of females and 3% of males believing they are at high risk. Perceived risk was also determined, with 50% of females and 69% of males having a low level of perceived risk. Qualitative interviews showed that people without osteoporosis believe osteoporosis has a low impact on sufferers. Those with the disease highlighted the impact the disease had on their whole quality of life as well as their mobility.