Perception of peri-menopausal and postmenopausal Lebanese women on osteoporosis: A cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION: Osteoporosis is a generalized skeletal disorder characterized by decreased bone mineral density and microarchitectural deterioration, resulting in increased susceptibility to fractures. The prevalence of osteoporosis in Lebanon, defined as T-score <−2.5 at the total hip using NHANES gender-specific database was estimated to be 31% among postmenopausal women. PURPOSE: To assess the general perception of osteoporosis among women in Lebanon as well as their general knowledge of its lifestyle, risk factors, diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic measures. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Lebanon between January and December 2017. Women above the age of 50 were invited to participate. A standardized questionnaire regarding the perception of personal risk of osteoporosis and fractures was used. Risk factors for osteoporosis, previous fractures or falls, family history of fracture, smoking, alcohol consumption, and secondary causes of osteoporosis were evaluated. Data were recorded on excel and analyzed on SPSS using variety of descriptive analysis, ANOVA tests, and others. P value <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: From 396 interviewed women, 85% were in menopause and were more likely to be diagnosed with osteoporosis. 45% knew the true definition of osteoporosis and their most frequent source of information was doctors. Around 60% had heard of BMD screening but only 54.5% of those women actually did it. CONCLUSION: This study reveals that osteoporosis knowledge and perception is low among the Lebanese woman aged 50 years and older.