Fatma ÖZDOĞAN, Burcu KELLECİ ÇAKIR, Şerife Gül ÖZ, Aygin BAYRAKTAR-EKİNCİOĞLU
Turkish Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences - 2026;23(1):41-49
Objectives: Osteoporosis (OP) is a major public health issue among postmenopausal women. Despite its high prevalence, awareness and screening practices remain insufficient. This study aims to evaluate OP-related risk factors and awareness levels among postmenopausal women. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was conducted between August 2023 and April 2024 among patients admitted to the general internal medicine outpatient clinic of a tertiary care hospital. Participants were categorized into two groups: patients with OP and patients without OP (non-OP). OP awareness was assessed using the OP awareness scale. Results: The study included 206 participants: 101 in the OP group and 105 in the non-OP group. Evaluation of risk factors (n = 20) showed no significant difference (SD) in the mean number of risk factors between the groups [OP: 7.29 (1.77), non-OP: 6.71 (1.94), p > 0.05]. Both groups demonstrated inadequate physical activity and dietary habits. The OP group demonstrated a higher prevalence of glucocorticoid use, while the non-OP group exhibited a higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency ( p < 0.01) and type 2 diabetes ( p = 0.02). About 35% of the non-OP group have not undergone bone-mineral-density measurements within the last 2 years, and 11% of these individuals were identified as high risk for major osteoporotic fracture within a 10-year timeframe. There was no SD in OP awareness between the groups [mean (SD) scores: OP 61.18 (16.02) and non-OP 61.32 (14.39); p = 0.44]. Conversely, risk of OP was positively correlated with patient age ( p = 0.004), lower awareness score in the protective behavior subdomain ( p = 0.02), and lower body mass index ( p < 0.001). Conclusion: OP prevention and its management require patient-specific strategies that include educational interventions to increase awareness and routine screening for risk factors among postmenopausal women. Pharmacists are well-positioned to identify patients' health-related and educational needs.
