Osteoporosis Knowledge, Health Beliefs, and Preventive Behavior: A Comparison Between Younger and Older Women Living in a Rural Area

Osteoporosis is widely recognized as one of the major health problems in postmenopausal and older women. Raising awareness about osteoporosis is an important step in examining how much people know about the disease and their attitudes toward preventive behaviors. The aims of the present study were to examine the differences in osteoporosis knowledge, health beliefs, and preventive behaviors between younger and older Thai women, and to examine the relationship between their osteoporosis knowledge, health beliefs, and preventative behaviors. An understanding of these variables measured in younger and older women is essential for the development and delivery of effective age-tailored intervention programs.