Sapporo Medical Journal

Abstract : Osteoporosis is a major chronic health issue that affects the patient’s quality of life. Since most patients are asymptomatic, knowledge and awareness of osteoporosis and its risk factors are extremely important in disease progression and prevention. This study aimed to estimate the level of knowledge about osteoporosis and its relation with age, gender, and educational level among the general population in Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted from July to August 2020 and included 412 randomly selected participants. A self-reported validated questionnaire was distributed online through social media applications. The questionnaire was divided into two sections: demographic data and knowledge about risk factors and general knowledge of osteoporosis. The majority of the participants were women (70.4%). Most participants were young adults (16–30-year-olds; 56.1%) and 59% had a bachelor's degree. Overall, 47.8% of the participants had good knowledge scores regarding osteoporosis. Pearson’s chi-squared tests showed no association between the participants’ level of knowledge about osteoporosis and their gender (p = 0.164), educational level (p = 0.425), or age (p = 0.346). Most of the representative residents of Jeddah had a good level of knowledge about osteoporosis, and there was no association between age, gender, or educational level and knowledge about osteoporosis. We recommend interventions to increase the level of knowledge about the disease.