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 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 osteoporosisprevention 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.