Bone health education programs for older people: an integrative review

Osteoporosis is a systemic disease characterized by a reduction in bone mineral density. The dissemination of knowledge about the disease can be a viable alternative for promoting preventive behavior and self-care. This study sought to identify the main characteristics of bone health programs for older persons. We conducted an integrative review, searching for studies published between 2011 and 2022 in the CAPES periodicals database, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar using English descriptors. A total of 10,093 studies were retrieved, seven of which were selected after applying the inclusion criteria. The findings show that bone health education programs aim to empower older people by increasing knowledge about the disease and raising awareness about calcium and vitamin D intake, osteoporosis medications, and the importance of changing habits and exercise. Programs generally consist of group or individual meetings, with sessions lasting 50 to 60 minutes. Class sizes may be limited or unrestricted. Follow-up during the educational process was also found to be important. Tailoring topics to the reality and interests of participants appears to be another positive way of promoting the adoption of self-care practices.