Women’s knowledge and beliefs about osteoporosis: evidence from a cross-sectional intervention study
Abstract
Osteoporosis is a major public health concern characterized by reduced bone mass and increased fracture risk. In the Middle East and North Africa region, including Palestine, its burden is increasing due to multiple factors. While aging, low calcium intake, vitamin D deficiency and limited awareness contribute, they do not fully explain the trend. In Palestine, as in other Middle Eastern countries, nutritional transition, marked by increased consumption of processed foods and reduced physical activity, particularly outdoors, may further exacerbate vitamin D deficiency and impair calcium absorption. This study aims to assess osteoporosis-related knowledge and health beliefs among Palestinian women and evaluate the effect of a brief educational intervention.
A pre-post cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 women aged 20–70 years recruited from community settings in two cities in northern Palestine. Data were collected using the osteoporosis knowledge and beliefs survey before and after a brief educational intervention on osteoporosis risk factors and prevention through diet and exercise. Paired t-tests and subgroup analyses were conducted using SPSS.
Participants showed moderate baseline knowledge, with an overall score of 73.3%. After the intervention, knowledge of risk factors improved significantly from 2.93 to 3.52 (p < 0.001). General health beliefs and calcium-related beliefs also improved significantly, while exercise-related beliefs did not change…
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