Kanokporn Varakorn. Factors related to osteoporosis preventive behaviors in junior high school girls in Nan province . Master's Degree(Public Health Nursing). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2006.
Factors related to osteoporosis preventive behaviors in junior high school girls in Nan province
Abstract:
This descriptive research aimed to examine the factors related to osteoporosis
preventive behavior in junior high school girls. The sample consisted of 358 girl
students from junior high school aged between 12-16 years old, living in Nan
Province. The PRECEDE Model was used to guide this study. A questionnaire was
used for data collection.
Descriptive analysis revealed that most junior high school girls reported poor
osteoporosis preventive behavior, such as not eating green vegetables (89.4%),eating
less than 3 meals/day (80.7%), drinking soft drinks (72.1%), having little fruit
(71.2%), and not exercise regularly (58.2%). The junior high school girls had good
knowledge about food with high calcium but poor knowledge about cause, risk factor
associated with osteoporosis. The attitudes to osteoporosis showed that junior high
school girls had poor attitudes about severity and osteoporosis preventive behavior.
The common source of information related to osteoporosis was from the media.
Bivariate analysis showed that attitudes, knowledge, environmental management
in school and community, information support were significantly related to
osteoporosis preventive behavior (p<0.05). According to multiple regression analysis,
attitudes, knowledge, environmental management in school, information support from
parents jointly predicted 19.1% of variance explained in osteoporosis preventive
behaviors among junior high school girls.
From the results of this study, health promotion program should encourage
better eating behavior and exercise among junior high school girls. Intervention
should involve individual students, families, schools, teachers and community to
make awareness of osteoporosis prevention more effective in high school girls.