The Effect of an Educational Osteoporosis Prevention Program on Awareness of Employed Women

Introduction: Osteoporosis is one of the most common metabolic bone diseases. The prevalence of osteoporosis in spine and femur bones of Iranian women is estimated to be 48.6%. The present survey aimed at investigating the effectiveness of an educational osteoporosis prevention programs in improving the awareness of employed women in shahroud. Methods: In this quasi experimental study, a group of 180 employed women having high school diploma or higher levels of education were chosen randomly from a list provided by the women’s affair office. Data were collected through a valid and reliable questionnaire. After the pre-test, the participants were given a set of educational instructions through pamphlets, posters, lectures and slide shows by a gynecologist, a pathologist and an internist on the same day. The post-test was administered after 5 weeks to examine the effectiveness of the instructions. SPSS was use to analyze the results through paired t-test and Mc-Nemar test. Results: The findings indicated a significant difference between the groups' awareness prior to and after the program regarding the diseases and drugs which cause osteoporosis, preventive medicines, preventive factors, avoidable predisposing factors and, unavoidable predisposing factors (P<0.001). Conclusion: With regard to the low awareness of employed women of osteoporosis prior to the educational program, it seems essential to enhance the awareness of women to prevent this disease, to maintain health, to enhance quality of life and to maintain independence in the elderly age.