Exploring Knowledge, Awareness, and Prevailing Misconceptions Surrounding Osteoporosis Prevention among Community Health Workers

Objective: To assess the knowledge, awareness level, and prevailing misconceptions regarding osteoporosis prevention and to identify gaps in understanding among community health workers of Pakistan. Methods: cross-sectional study was done from October 2023 through January 2024. All Lady Health Wo...

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Main Authors: Jamil Ahmed, Shafqat Huma, Saima Qurban, Noor Noor Lodhi, Faheem Mahmood, Umer Saeed
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KARACHI MEDICAL AND DENTAL COLLEGE 2025-03-01
Series:Annals of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Karachi Medical & Dental College
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Online Access:https://www.annals-ashkmdc.org/index.php/ashkmdc/article/view/852
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author Jamil Ahmed
Shafqat Huma
Saima Qurban
Noor Noor Lodhi
Faheem Mahmood
Umer Saeed
author_facet Jamil Ahmed
Shafqat Huma
Saima Qurban
Noor Noor Lodhi
Faheem Mahmood
Umer Saeed
author_sort Jamil Ahmed
collection DOAJ
description Objective: To assess the knowledge, awareness level, and prevailing misconceptions regarding osteoporosis prevention and to identify gaps in understanding among community health workers of Pakistan. Methods: cross-sectional study was done from October 2023 through January 2024. All Lady Health Workers of Lahore enrolled with the National Programme for Family Planning & Primary Health Care were considered relevant populations. An Osteoporosis Prevention and Awareness Tool (OPAAT) that had been validated was adopted from a previous study. The exposure of interest was knowledge regarding the prevention of osteoporosis presented through the OPAAT Score, and the outcome of interest was attitude, practice, and misconception regarding osteoporosis. Data was entered online on Google Forms and analyzed using SPSS version 27.0. The data was presented in frequency and percentage. The association of socio-demographic variables with the prevention of osteoporosis, awareness, and misconception was shown using the Multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results: The data was collected from 300 community health workers, and their awareness of osteoporosis prevention was evaluated using the OPAAT score tool. The findings indicated 56 (18.67%) community health workers demonstrated low knowledge, and 157 (52.33%) exhibited average knowledge regarding osteoporosis prevention and awareness. Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that higher education (AOR for Master’s degree: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.05-2.60) and post-menopausal status (AOR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.20-2.70) significantly increased osteoporosis prevention knowledge among community health workers in Pakistan. Conclusion: Lady health workers are the cornerstone of Pakistan’s community health workforce and essential in delivering healthcare services. The study found that most participants had average knowledge regarding osteoporosis prevention and held false beliefs about it. Findings recommended a dire need for educational interventions for community health workers.
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spelling doaj-art-b6b73f74b13c418e9565644f693c40722025-08-20T02:58:51ZengKARACHI MEDICAL AND DENTAL COLLEGEAnnals of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Karachi Medical & Dental College1563-32412025-03-0130110.58397/br7sk444Exploring Knowledge, Awareness, and Prevailing Misconceptions Surrounding Osteoporosis Prevention among Community Health WorkersJamil Ahmed0Shafqat Huma1Saima Qurban2Noor Noor Lodhi3Faheem Mahmood4Umer Saeed5Department of Community Medicine, Rashid Latif Khan University (RLKU) Medical College, LahoreDepartment of Psychiatry, Rashid Latif Khan University (RLKU) Medical College, LahoreDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Hameed Latif Teaching Hospital, Rashid Latif Khan University (RLKU) Medical College, LahoreDepartment of Physiology, Rashid Latif Khan University (RLKU) Medical College, LahoreDepartment of Physiology, Rashid Latif Khan University (RLKU) Medical College, LahoreDepartment of Biochemistry, Rashid Latif Khan University (RLKU) Medical College, Lahore Objective: To assess the knowledge, awareness level, and prevailing misconceptions regarding osteoporosis prevention and to identify gaps in understanding among community health workers of Pakistan. Methods: cross-sectional study was done from October 2023 through January 2024. All Lady Health Workers of Lahore enrolled with the National Programme for Family Planning & Primary Health Care were considered relevant populations. An Osteoporosis Prevention and Awareness Tool (OPAAT) that had been validated was adopted from a previous study. The exposure of interest was knowledge regarding the prevention of osteoporosis presented through the OPAAT Score, and the outcome of interest was attitude, practice, and misconception regarding osteoporosis. Data was entered online on Google Forms and analyzed using SPSS version 27.0. The data was presented in frequency and percentage. The association of socio-demographic variables with the prevention of osteoporosis, awareness, and misconception was shown using the Multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results: The data was collected from 300 community health workers, and their awareness of osteoporosis prevention was evaluated using the OPAAT score tool. The findings indicated 56 (18.67%) community health workers demonstrated low knowledge, and 157 (52.33%) exhibited average knowledge regarding osteoporosis prevention and awareness. Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that higher education (AOR for Master’s degree: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.05-2.60) and post-menopausal status (AOR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.20-2.70) significantly increased osteoporosis prevention knowledge among community health workers in Pakistan. Conclusion: Lady health workers are the cornerstone of Pakistan’s community health workforce and essential in delivering healthcare services. The study found that most participants had average knowledge regarding osteoporosis prevention and held false beliefs about it. Findings recommended a dire need for educational interventions for community health workers. https://www.annals-ashkmdc.org/index.php/ashkmdc/article/view/852Osteoporosis PreventionCommunity Health WorkersOPAAT Score
spellingShingle Jamil Ahmed
Shafqat Huma
Saima Qurban
Noor Noor Lodhi
Faheem Mahmood
Umer Saeed
Exploring Knowledge, Awareness, and Prevailing Misconceptions Surrounding Osteoporosis Prevention among Community Health Workers
Annals of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Karachi Medical & Dental College
Osteoporosis Prevention
Community Health Workers
OPAAT Score
title Exploring Knowledge, Awareness, and Prevailing Misconceptions Surrounding Osteoporosis Prevention among Community Health Workers
title_full Exploring Knowledge, Awareness, and Prevailing Misconceptions Surrounding Osteoporosis Prevention among Community Health Workers
title_fullStr Exploring Knowledge, Awareness, and Prevailing Misconceptions Surrounding Osteoporosis Prevention among Community Health Workers
title_full_unstemmed Exploring Knowledge, Awareness, and Prevailing Misconceptions Surrounding Osteoporosis Prevention among Community Health Workers
title_short Exploring Knowledge, Awareness, and Prevailing Misconceptions Surrounding Osteoporosis Prevention among Community Health Workers
title_sort exploring knowledge awareness and prevailing misconceptions surrounding osteoporosis prevention among community health workers
topic Osteoporosis Prevention
Community Health Workers
OPAAT Score
url https://www.annals-ashkmdc.org/index.php/ashkmdc/article/view/852
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