Are Women Ready to Prevent Osteoporosis? Change Stages for Preventive Behaviors

Evaluate the prevention behaviors for osteoporosis (OP) in women (physical activity and calcium intake) and their readiness to perform these behaviors.

Women aged ≥30 years in four large cities of Mexico were interviewed. The geographical areas were selected randomly and stratified according to socioeconomic status and age. A questionnaire designed to assess OP-related prevention behaviors, as well as attitudes and stages of change of the transtheoretical model toward these behaviors, was used.

Eight hundred and six women were interviewed: 4.2% reported diagnosis of osteopenia, 5% of OP, 2.3% had suffered a fracture, and 11.9% had a family history of OP. A large proportion of participants did not do physical activity (56.2%) and did not have the recommended intake of calcium (61.3%). More than 80% of these participants were in lower stages of change (precontemplation and contemplation) for performing physical activity and 86.4% for calcium intake, which means a lack of readiness to change their behaviors. The absence of readiness to change preventive behaviors was related to negative attitudes toward both behaviors (OR = 1.81, 95% CI [1.04, 3.14] physical activity; OR = 3.09, 95% CI [1.81, 5.29] calcium intake). Both of these behaviors were associated with known risk factors for OP.

Very high percentage of women are not ready to perform the behaviors necessary to maintain bone health. This phenomenon was not as a result of clinical risk factors for OP but because of the negative attitudes and beliefs of women related to physical activity and calcium intake.