A Survey to Assess Osteoporosis Knowledge of the General population of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Samer Aladwani, Muteb E. Alosaimi, Saud A. Althunayan, Ali K. Alrowaidan, Sultan M. Al-Abrah, Fahad A.A. Alhawas, Mohammed A. Aloyayri, Ahmed A. Almulhem

Abstract

Background: Osteoporosis refers to a disorder of the skeletal tissues that affect the density and quality of the bone. In most communities, the disorder is known to affect up to half of the population of women aged above 50 years, while affecting up to 205 of men of the similar age. Various research studies have however revealed that the majority of people are usually not aware of this condition. Normally, fractures resulting from osteoporosis can lead to disability, premature mortality or poor quality of life.This study therefore aims to assess the knowledge and awareness among adult residents of Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding osteoporosis and its risk factors. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional, data was collected among adult residents in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. It used stratified random sampling method for the selection of the study population. For the data collection, the study used a pre-coded self-administered questionnaire. It used SPSS software version 20 in data management and analysis. Results: 385 completed the survey through the questionnaires, 41.8% were females, and 58.2% were males. From the chi-square analysis, we failed to reject the null hypothesis that there is no association between gender and awareness of risk factors associated with osteoporosis.  Conclusion: Although various research studies have asserted that awareness of risk factors associated with osteoporosis is most worrisome compared to other elements such as attitude and preventive measures, this study deduces that awareness does not depend on gender or age. Instead, it agrees with assertions from other studies, which indicate that awareness is positively correlated with levels of education.