Knowledge of Osteoporosis and Its Associated Factors among Public Health Professionals in a Municipal Office in Japan.

Abstract

Lifelong efforts to maintain bone health are beneficial for preventing osteoporosis, and public health professionals play an important role in that. The current study aimed to assess the knowledge of osteoporosis among public health professionals in a Japanese municipal office and explored associated factors. A questionnaire was distributed to 124 eligible public health professionals in a municipal office in S City, Japan; in total, 89 individuals who returned it were analyzed. Their knowledge of osteoporosis was assessed using the revised Osteoporosis Knowledge Test, its two subscales, and the Facts on Osteoporosis Quiz, translated into Japanese. To compare the level of knowledge between categories of selected factors, the Wilcoxon rank-sum test or the Kruskal–Wallis test was applied. The mean of correct answers ranged from 70 to 79%, depending on the scale. The knowledge level was significantly higher among registered dietitians than among public health nurses. Higher scores were significantly associated with past learning experience in off-the-job training, with having a family history of osteoporosis, and with having had a past osteoporosis test. Japanese public health professionals were likely to have moderate knowledge of osteoporosis. Several factors were implied to be associated with the knowledge level of osteoporosis.