Awareness of osteoporosis among Trakya University Faculty of Medicine students

Osteoporosis is a progressive bone disease that increases the risk of fractures as a result of decreased bone mineral density and structural deterioration of bone tissue. In osteoporosis, bone strength decreases and bones become more fragile. With the aging population, the incidence of osteoporotic fractures is expected to rise. This study aimed to determine the level of awareness about osteoporosis among medical students at Trakya University Faculty of Medicine. Based on the sample size calculation, 316 medical students and interns were found to be sufficient for the study with 95% power and a 5% margin of error. The study was conducted with 358 voluntary participants. In addition to sociodemographic data, a questionnaire was administered to the participants. Of the 358 participants included in the study, 215 (60.1%) were female and 143 (39.9%) were male, with a mean age of 21.87 ± 2.12 years. A total of 87.4% of the participants stated that they had prior knowledge about osteoporosis. The relationship between knowledge level and variables such as family history of osteoporosis and fractures was also examined, and it was found that participants with a family history of osteoporosis had higher knowledge scores. A quarter of the participants (25.4%) considered their knowledge level to be sufficient, and those who perceived their knowledge as sufficient answered approximately half of the knowledge questions correctly. Overall, knowledge levels were observed to increase in higher academic years. No significant relationship was found between knowledge scores and gender. In conclusion, our study revealed that although the students had a basic level of knowledge about osteoporosis, they lacked sufficient understanding of diagnostic methods, early screening awareness, and preventive approaches. These findings indicate that osteoporosis education in medical curricula should not be limited to theoretical knowledge but should also be addressed through practical and multidisciplinary approaches. Furthermore, increasing osteoporosis awareness not only among students but also within the general population is of great importance. In this process, primary healthcare services play a key role in educating the community, identifying risk groups, and promoting preventive health behaviors.