Post-menopausal women’s knowledge, health beliefs, and associated factors towards the prevention of osteoporosis in Gondar Town, Northwest Ethiopia, 2024

Osteoporosis is a major public health problem that disproportionately affect post-menopausal women, and substantially increases the risk of fragility fractures, disability, and reduced quality of life. Adequate knowledge and positive health beliefs are essential for adopting preventive behaviors; however, evidence from Ethiopia remains limited. This study aimed to assess postmenopausal women’s knowledge, health beliefs, and associated factors regarding osteoporosis prevention in Gondar Town, Northwest Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 565 postmenopausal women selected using a multistage sampling technique from June to August 2024. Data were collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires incorporating the Osteoporosis Knowledge Assessment Tool (OKAT) and the Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale (OHBS). Data were entered into Epi Info version 7 and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with knowledge and health beliefs, with statistical significance declared at p < 0.05. Overall, 35.4% (95% CI: 31.0–38.9) of participants had adequate knowledge of osteoporosis prevention, while 38.1% (95% CI: 34.3–41.7) had positive health beliefs. Higher educational attainment and a previous history of osteoporosis were significantly associated with adequate knowledge. Compared with women who were unable to read and write, those with secondary education had 2.06 times higher odds of having adequate knowledge regarding osteoporosis prevention (AOR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.16–3.67), while women with college education or above had 3.55 times higher odds of adequate knowledge (AOR = 3.55, 95% CI: 1.80–6.70). These findings suggest that osteoporosis-related knowledge and positive health beliefs remain low among postmenopausal women in Gondar Town. Targeted health education and community-based awareness programs, particularly for women with limited education, may help improve osteoporosis awareness and promote preventive behaviors. Further longitudinal studies are warranted to better understand the relationships between these factors and osteoporosis prevention.