Women Lack Concern and Knowledge of the Debilitating Consequences of Poor Bone Health
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Are You at Risk for Spinal Fractures?
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A new survey released today by the non-profit National Women's Health Resource Center (NWHRC) found that while the majority of women view osteoporosis as preventable and a serious health treat, few women have a real understanding of the devastating effects of bone loss.
"The survey established a good news/bad news scenario for bone health," stated Amy Niles, president of NWHRC. "Although we found that osteoporosis is often part of the conversation that women are having with their physicians, there is still a big gap in understanding how bone loss can affect your life, especially when it comes to spinal fractures."
Unfortunately, women are waiting until it is too late to make the connection between bone loss and spinal fractures. A full 70 percent of women feel they are not at risk for a spinal fracture, when in fact, a Caucasian woman over the age of 50 has a 40 percent chance of suffering a fracture at some point in her life.
The national survey did uncover positive general awareness of osteoporosis and bone loss among all women. The majority of women, 53 percent, strongly believe that bone loss is preventable and is not a normal part of aging. At 16 percent, osteoporosis ranks among the top conditions for which women 45-70 years of age believe they are at risk.
Even though the majority of women in the survey say they exercise (72 percent) and take calcium (75 percent) to prevent bone loss, few seem to understand or fear the consequences of not having healthy bones. For instance, merely 37 percent of women said that osteoporosis or bone loss was the primary cause of spinal fractures and attributed them to falling (24 percent) or accidents (16 percent). Only 14 percent said they were very worried about suffering from broken or fractured bones, 12 percent voiced concern over curvature of the back and 8 percent were very worried about height loss.
While nearly half of women (46 percent) are having conversations with their physicians about osteoporosis and bone loss, only 10 percent of women are discussing spinal fractures. Of those that have had a discussion about osteoporosis with their doctor on their last visit, an overwhelming 74 percent said it was the provider who initiated the conversation.
Other key findings include:
- Women start paying attention to their bone health once a doctor has called their attention to it, and that typically happens after menopause. Only 21 percent of perimenopausal women reported having a conversation about bone loss with their doctor over the past year.
- Women who have had bone mineral density (BMD) screenings are far more likely to have had other preventative screenings. For example, among women who have had a bone density screening, 84 percent have also had a mammogram in the last year, compared to 65 percent for women who had not had a bone density test.
- Even though a family history of osteoporosis is a leading factor in bone loss, women with a family history of the disease were only marginally more concerned than those with no family history of the condition. Only 40 percent of women with a family history of osteoporosis think they are at risk for spinal fractures verses 22 percent of women without a family history of the disease.
To address the knowledge gap, NWHRC has developed an online assessment quiz that helps women detect whether or not they may be at risk for a spinal fracture, and questions to ask your health care professional. As part of the campaign, NWHRC will also be developing an online tool kit which will contains brief articles about spinal fractures and bone health, tips to keep bones healthy and additional resources. This information can be accessed by visiting www.healthywomen.org.
The results of this survey are based on a random-digit-dial survey of 1,000 women 45-70. The survey was conducted May 17-25, 2005, with a margin of error of +/-3.1 percent. The survey and campaign materials were made possible through an unrestricted educational grant by Kyphon Inc.
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