Knowledge and health beliefs of osteoporosis in college nursing students.
OBJECTIVE
This purpose of this study was to describe college students' knowledge of osteoporosis, health beliefs regarding osteoporosis, self-efficacy to perform osteoporosis-preventing activities, and actual performance of osteoporosis-preventing activities.


METHODS
This descriptive study used a survey method. Participants completed a questionnaire consisting of the Osteoporosis preventing Behaviors Survey, the Osteoporosis Knowledge Test, the Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale, and the Osteoporosis Self-Efficacy Scale.


METHODS
One-hundred ninety-four nursing student subjects (86 sophomore students and 108 senior students).


RESULTS
Senior students were more knowledgeable about osteoporosis than sophomore students and were more confident about performing osteoporosis-preventing behaviors. There were no significant differences between the groups regarding their health beliefs about osteoporosis, their performance of weight-bearing exercise, dietary calcium intake, or intake of caffeinated products.


CONCLUSIONS
These results may be useful in examining the nursing curricula at colleges of nursing, as well as investigating methods of helping beginning nurses, as health promoters, to make lifestyle changes. This, in turn, may lead to behaviors to prevent osteoporosis in themselves and those for whom they provide care.
Ziccardi
Sarah Lynn
SL
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Passavant Hospital, PA, USA.
Sedlak
Carol A
CA
Doheny
Margaret O
MO
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003479:Curriculum; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009820:Ohio; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D020377:Self Efficacy