Knowledge of Osteoporosis and its Determinants among Iraqi Healthcare Workers

Background: Osteoporosis is a major public health problem. Sufficient osteoporosis knowledge by healthcare workers is essential to guaranteeing that they possess the abilities and skills to treat patients with osteoporosis effectively. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the knowledge and awareness of osteoporosis among medical health workers, in addition to defining associated factors related to knowledge levels. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among healthcare workers in hospitals and primary healthcare centers in Al Najaf Governorate from May 1st, 2022, to March 1st, 2023. A self-structured questionnaire was used to collect data, including the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants and the Osteoporosis Knowledge Assessment Tool (OKAT) score. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Results: A total of 343 healthcare workers participated in this study. Their mean age was 32.45 years. Most participants had average and good knowledge (50% and 37%, respectively). Regarding awareness, 51.6% knew that calcium supplements alone cannot prevent bone loss, 16.9% identified that osteoporosis does not cause pain before a fracture, 44.3% knew that not all types of physical activity are useful for osteoporosis patients, and only 19.3% were aware that personal risk factors could predict the occurrence of the disease. Conclusions: Most healthcare workers have average knowledge of osteoporosis. There is a significant gap in knowledge among the participants regarding symptoms, risk factors, and treatment availability.