Bone Abstracts

Background: In the UK, despite opportunities for prevention, between 65%-87% of people eligible for osteoporosis treatment remain untreated. This care gap results, in part, from low awareness of osteoporosis, and is wider for people from underserved groups, including those living in areas of deprivation, minoritised ethnic groups and men. In developing a programme to evaluate a new model of targeted case finding for osteoporosis (PROTECTS), we wanted to understand underserved communities knowledge and beliefs regarding osteoporosis and identify opportunities for improving awareness.

Methods: Four activity-driven workshops were held with community groups representing underserved communities in the West Midlands an African Caribbean group, an Islamic womens group, foodbank attendees, and a Mens Sheds group. Twelve statements about osteoporosis, a mix of truths and myths, were discussed and groups decided whether these were true or false, followed by a presentation to help increase awareness. Discussion notes were taken following each workshop.

Results: Many participants reported not previously having considered their bone health. There was confusion about the difference between osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Despite this, around half of the statements were correctly identified, with discussions strongly influenced by personal experience. Most involved identified osteoporosis as a silent chronic condition, affecting both men and women, and rejected it being a normal part of ageing. Not all were aware that fractures might not be trauma-induced. There was low awareness of the impact of fractures: most were unaware that height loss and curvature in older age could be caused by spinal fractures and of the increased risk of not returning to your own home following a hip fracture. All groups thought that bone strength could be improved with supplements, but there was little awareness of common risk factors (e.g. diabetes, early menopause), the ability to estimate individual fracture risk, or of the preventative role of osteoporosis medicines.

Conclusions: These workshops highlighted the importance of redressing myths and sharing key risks and preventative measures more widely with the public. Healthcare professionals have a key role in eliciting and addressing misconceptions to support patient engagement, thereby increasing effectiveness of fracture prevention, and reducing service demand and associated costs.