Osteoporosis: prevention and implications for social work practice and policy

Osteoporosis is one of the major disorders of our time and is increasing at an alarming rate. It affects over 10 million women in the United States and is expected to affect 14 million by the year 2020. There are a number of risk factors for osteoporosis that are of a modifiable nature; however, many women do not take the necessary precautions to prevent the disease. The reasons that women do not actively engage in preventative and remedial strategies to deal with the potential for osteoporosis are complex. It is clear that women must have adequate knowledge to make informed decisions regarding osteoprotective behaviors. Social workers are in a unique position to provide interventions not only on a micro level (educating individual clients) but also on a macro level in terms of large-scale education campaigns focusing on nutrition and exercise both in children and in adults. This article examines the reasons for the failure of women to engage in osteoprotective behaviors by exploring barriers to prevention and their impact on social work policy, practice, and research.