The impact of communication on women's risk perceptions for osteoporosis in China

Osteoporosis (OP) is an increasingly important public health issue, women constitute approximately 80% of those diagnosed with OP. Improved risk perception regarding OP is important for early prevention. This study aimed to examine the association among socio-demographic, communication related variables and risk perception regarding OP. An online survey with 950 participants was conducted. The survey comprised 19 questions pertaining to lifestyle, general health, bone fracture awareness and demographics. Bivariate analyses were used to examine unadjusted relations among socio-demographic, communication related variables and comparative perceived risk of OP. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis was used to analyze the association between communication media exposure, information processing mode, educational level, self-efficacy and risk perception for OP. Results suggest that some socio-demographic variables (gender, educational level, income) and some communication relevant variables (communication media exposure, the ability to acquire information and systematic information processing) were positively associated with higher OP risk perception, while self-efficacy was negative factor. The study also showed that heuristic-systematic processing and self-efficacy were found to moderate the impact of communication media on risk perceptions. Improved understanding of the impact of communication on risk perception may aid in the development of effective intervention strategies to reduce the burden of OP.