Research of osteoporosis knowledge levels and health beliefs of women consult to family health center

The aim of the study is to evaluate the knowledge of people about osteoporosis and their belief in health against the disease. The study was carried out by applying the Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale and Osteoporosis Information Test form with a one-to-one interview technique to 280 female participants who agreed to participate in the study between the ages of 18-45 at a family health center affiliated to the Istanbul Provincial Health Directorate. The data obtained from the study were statistically analyzed using Mann Whitney U, Kruskal Wallis and Pearson and Spearman Correlation tests in SPSS 21.0 program. The mean age of the participants was 32.8 ± 7.78 years. In the research, 34.3% of the participants were university education graduated, 32.9% were high school graduated, 32.9% were primary education graduated, and 75.0% of the people are married. It was determined that 92.9% of the people had never measured bone mineral density and 60.0% had never received any information about osteoporosis before. Women's Osteoporosis Knowledge Test total score was found to be 15.4 ± 2.91. Osteoporosis Exercise Information score was 10.6 ± 2.21 and Osteoporosis Calcium Information score was 10.6 ± 2.24, which are the subtitles of the knowledge test. The total score of the participants' Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale was found to be 135.1 ± 12.59. That forms the subtitles of the scale, sensitivity perception score was 18.6 ± 4.23; severity perception score was 19.9 ± 5.52; exercise benefits perception score was 26.6 ± 3.34; calcium intake benefits perception score was 24.7 ± 3.54; exercise barrier perception score was 13.2 ± 5.78; The perception score of calcium intake barriers score was 10.3 ± 3.52 and the average of health motivation score was 21.5 ± 4.64. As a result, participants have a number of osteoporosis risk factor behavior. It has been observed that there are significant differences between socio-demographic characteristics, education level, various risk factors and perceptions of osteoporosis health beliefs and knowledge of osteoporosis.Increased severity, sensitivity, benefit perception and health motivation against osteoporosis, decreased perception of obstacles, and also high level of knowledge of osteoporosis suggests that it will tend to be directed towards preventive health behavior. Keywords: Osteoporosis, Health Belief Model, Osteoporosis Knowledge Test, Public Health, Osteoporosis Risk Factor