Health promotion and osteoporosis prevention among postmenopausal women.
BACKGROUND
Although there is a plethora of literature about osteoporosis, little is known about the attitudinal variables that may predict osteoporosis-preventive behaviors (OPBs) among postmenopausal women. This study examined the relationship between variables from the Health Promotion Model (HPM) and OPBs of calcium intake, exercise participation, and taking of estrogen/hormone replacement therapy (ERT/HRT).


METHODS
One hundred women completed measures of benefits and barriers to calcium intake, exercise participation, ERT/HRT usage; self-efficacy; control of health; importance of health; and health status. Participants also reported their actual calcium intake, exercise participation, and use of ERT/HRT:


RESULTS
Participants consumed an average of 1,243 mg of calcium from milk, yogurt, calcium-rich foods, and supplements; 81% participated in weight-bearing and resistant training exercise but on an irregular basis; and 31% were users of ERT/HRT at the time of data collection. There were significant relationships between some of the HPM variables and calcium intake and exercise participation. There was a significant difference between past and current users of ERT regarding benefits and barriers to taking hormones. Hormone users reported higher calcium intake and greater exercise participation than nonusers.


CONCLUSIONS
There is early evidence that variables of the HPM are associated with OPBs. After continued testing, intervention programs for osteoporosis prevention may use variables of the HPM as a theoretical base for behavior changes.
Ali
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NS
Ball State University, School of Nursing, Muncie, Indiana 47306, USA.
Twibell
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RK
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001290:Attitude; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008875:Middle Aged; D015146:Midwestern United States; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000517:prevention & control*
D002136:Calcium, Dietary