Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Osteoporosis Knowledge And Health Beliefs Among Middle-Aged Men And Women In The Southern United States, Stacy Chelf, Robert E. Davis, Martha A. Bass, M. Allison Ford, Ali D. Firouzabadi, Jonathan T. Leo, Vinayak K. Nahar

Faculty and Student Publications

Context: The most common skeletal disease, osteoporosis, causes bone fragility due to decreased bone mass and bone microarchitecture destruction. The health belief model is often applied to asymptomatic, prevention-related diseases such as osteoporosis. Steps to mitigate the insidious nature of osteoporosis, including education, motivation, and monitoring of bone mineral density, must begin at an earlier age. Objectives: This study evaluates the knowledge and health beliefs surrounding osteoporosis in a population of males and females 35–50 years old to determine sex-based differences in osteoporosis knowledge and beliefs and to assess the correlation between perceptions and health motivation. Methods: Participants (81 males, …