Knowledge on Disease, Attitude, Perceived Benefits and Barriers of Educating Osteoporosis Prevention among Rural Health Workers in Kurdistan Province

Abstract

Background and Aim: Osteoporosis is a disease of musculoskeletal system associated with decreased bone density, bone loss and bone microstructure loss. Educating rural communities on Osteoporosis prevention is an essential task for Rural Health Workers (RHWs). The purpose of this study was to evaluate knowledge on disease, attitude, perceived benefits and barriers of educating osteoporosis prevention among RHWs in Kurdistan Province, Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 285 RHWs in Kurdistan province were recruited through proportional random sampling to participate in the study. A validated researcher-made questionnaire was applied to collect data, which was then analyzed using SPSS version 19. Results: In Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), the measurement model was found to be with a good fit to the data in the assumed model (χ2 [466] = 999.466, p <0.0001, CFI = 0.921, NFI=0.821, TLI=0.913, RMSEA = 0.048[(0.043-0.054]). The mean percent of knowledge, attitude, perceived benefits and barriers and educational behaviors on osteoporosis prevention were 81.1%, 70.3%, 84.4%, 64.3%, and 65.6%, respectively. Compared to those with lower level of education, the RHWs with higher level of education had a more positive atitude towards the educational behaviors (p <0.05). Conclusion: An appropriate level of knowledge on disease, attitude, perceived barriers and benefits, and educational behaviors on osteoporosis prevention was found among RHWs in Kurdistan province. However, there are still some weak points in different domains which should be considered while educating the RHWs on implementing osteoporosis prevention programs in rural communities.