The current situation in the approach to osteoporosis in older adults in Turkey: areas in need of improvement with a model for other populations

The effect of health belief model-based short interviews in women in the postmenopausal period on the prevention of osteoporosis: A randomized controlled trial

AIM

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of health belief model-based short interviews on preventive behaviours for osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A randomized pretest, posttest and follow-up design was used. The study was conducted between June 2016 and June 2017 with an intervention (n = 41) and a control group (n = 41). The intervention group applied the Short Interviews Model for 12 weeks as a short interview programme that was created based on the health belief model. The study data were collected by the researcher using a descriptive information form, the Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale, the Osteoporosis Self-efficacy Scale and the Osteoporosis Knowledge Test.

RESULTS

In the posttest and follow-up measurements, the mean scores of the intervention group on the total Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale and its self-efficacy and exercise sub-dimensions and the total Osteoporosis Knowledge Test and its sub-dimensions were significantly higher than those of the control group.

CONCLUSION

The short interviews held in this study provided evidence to guide women and nurses in the prevention of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. It is recommended that the prevention of osteoporosis should be integrated into women's health programmes at the primary health-care level.

Assessment Tools of Biopsychosocial Frailty Dimensions in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Narrative Review

Frailty is a complex interplay between several factors, including physiological changes in ageing, multimorbidities, malnutrition, living environment, genetics, and lifestyle. Early screening for frailty risk factors in community-dwelling older people allows for preventive interventions on the clinical and social determinants of frailty, which allows adverse events to be avoided. By conducting a narrative review of the literature employing the International Narrative Systematic Assessment tool, the authors aimed to develop an updated framework for the main measurement tools to assess frailty risks in older adults, paying attention to use in the community and primary care settings. This search focused on the biopsychosocial domains of frailty that are covered in the SUNFRAIL tool. The study selected 178 reviews (polypharmacy: 20; nutrition: 13; physical activity: 74; medical visits: 0; falls: 39; cognitive decline: 12; loneliness: 15; social support: 5; economic constraints: 0) published between January 2010 and December 2021. Within the selected reviews, 123 assessment tools were identified (polypharmacy: 15; nutrition: 15; physical activity: 25; medical visits: 0; falls: 26; cognitive decline: 18; loneliness: 9; social support: 15; economic constraints: 0). The narrative review allowed us to evaluate assessment tools of frailty domains to be adopted for multidimensional health promotion and prevention interventions in community and primary care.