October 2005

Women unconcerned about bone health, survey finds

You may want to bring up bone health with your female patients. A new survey released by the nonprofit 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.

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 who have discussed osteoporosis with their doctor, 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.

Source: National Women’s Health Resource Center, www.healthywomen.org

Industry News from:
Chiropractic News from: