Missed Opportunities in Osteoporosis Prevention and Screening in Postmenopausal Women: Risk Profiles and Awareness

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.

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.

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).

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.