A study to assess the awareness regarding osteoporosis among postmenopausal women residing in selected area of City Ludhiana, Punjab

Background: Osteoporosis is one of the emerging health issues worldwide. It is a silent disease and can cause fractures of bones. Due to an increase in longevity of life in India, osteoporotic fracture is becoming a major cause of morbidity and mortality, which is similar to the western part of the world. Every year, millions of people are affected by osteoporosis, the majority of them are women. Objectives: 1. To assess the level of awareness regarding osteoporosis among postmenopausal women. 2. To find out association of awareness regarding osteoporosis among postmenopausal women with their selected socio-demographic variables. 3. To plan and disseminate IEC material on prevention of osteoporosis among postmenopausal women. Methodology: A descriptive study was conducted on 300 postmenopausal women residing in Guru Gobind Singh Nagar, Shimlapuri, Ludhiana, Punjab. The sample was selected using purposive sampling technique. The structured questionnaire was used to assess the awareness regarding osteoporosis among postmenopausal women. The data was obtained by using interview technique. Analysis & interpretation of data was done by using descriptive and inferential statistics as per the objectives of the study. Results: The study revealed that out of 300 postmenopausal women, more than half i.e., 173 (57.7%) had average level of awareness whereas 123 (41%) women had poor level of awareness and only 4 (1.3%) women had good level of awareness regarding osteoporosis. Conclusion: The present study concluded that more than half of the postmenopausal women had average level of awareness regarding osteoporosis. So, it is important to provide awareness regarding osteoporosis and its contributing factors among postmenopausal women.