DETERMINING OSTEOPOROSIS KNOWLEDGE OF WOMEN CONSULTING TO FAMILY HEALTH CENTERS IN KAYSERI PROVINCE

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge level of osteoporosis using the Osteoporosis Knowledge Test (OKT) in voluntary women who consulted to family health centers in center of Kayseri province. Methods: Study sample consisted of 433 voluntary women aged 18 years and over who came to the Talas Mirabo？lu and Esenyurt Latif Ba？kal Family Health Center between October and December in 2015. Data were collected via a questionnaire about sociodemographic features, anthropometric measurements (weight and height), and consumption habits of dairy products, and Osteoporosis Knowledge Test. Data were presented number (n), percentage (%), mean (x ？), standard deviation (±SD), and min-max. One-way variance analysis was used to determine the differences between groups. Results: The mean age of the women was 33.88±12.44 years; %53.4 of them had normal body weight while %13.7 of them was obese. The total OKT score was 17.46±3.20. Exercise Knowledge Subscale score of single women was significantly higher than married women (p<0.05). No significant relation was determined between age groups, education levels, exercise habits, presence of osteoporosis in the family and subscales and total OKT scores. The total OKT score of women who consumed dairy products every day was significantly higher women who consumed dairy products ≤2 days and 3-5 days per week (p<0.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, osteoporosis knowledge levels of women were not very low, but marital status and consumption of dairy products could affect the level of osteoporosis knowledge