Osteoporosis knowledge, attitude and practice among nurses in Rafsanjan , 2020

Because osteoporosis is largely preventable and an essential principle in preventing this condition is the way of thinking, lifestyle, and daily habits of people, the current study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practice of nurses at Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences regarding osteoporosis. The population of this descriptive study comprised 418 nurses at Ali-Ibn Abi-Talib Hospital in Rafsanjan by census in 2021. The data collection tool was a valid questionnaire that was completed through self-reporting. Data were entered into SPSS software version 24 and analyzed using the chi-square, independent t-test, and one-way analysis of variance tests. The mean age of participants was 34.15±7.28 years, and the mean work experience was 9.36±7.46 years. Of the 418 subjects, 214 (51.2%) were female, and 204 (48.8%) were male. The mean score in the field of knowledge was 20.84 (out of 28 points), in the field of attitude was 18.70 (out of 22 points), and in the field of practice was 9.32 (out of 18 points). The mean scores of knowledge (p=0.001), attitude (p=0.015), and practice (p<0.001) of nurses were significant according to different age groups. Women obtained higher mean scores for knowledge than men (p<0.001), but men achieved higher mean score for practice than women (p<0.001). The current finding indicate that nurses' knowledge and attitude towards osteoporosis in Rafsanjan are optimal. Nonetheless, their practice of preventing this disease is weak and requires influential factors.