Missed Opportunities in Osteoporosis Prevention and Screening in Postmenopausal Women: Risk Profiles and Awareness
Turkish Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, cilt.23, sa.1, ss.41-49, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 23 Sayı: 1
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.4274/tjps.galenos.2026.09090
- Dergi Adı: Turkish Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, BIOSIS, EMBASE, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest)
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.41-49
- Anahtar Kelimeler: awareness, clinical pharmacist, Osteoporosis, postmenopausal, risk factors
- Hacettepe Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Objectives: 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. Materials and Methods: 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. Results: 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). Conclusion: 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.