Dietary Behavior toward Osteoporosis among Women in a Slum Area Influenced by Nutritional Knowledge and Stages of Precaution Adoption Model

The cross sectional study aiming to assess the effect of Precaution adoption process model (PAPM) and nutritional knowledge concerning osteoporosis on dietary behavior of women. Two hundred and twenty women aged 21 years and above living in slum area in Alexandria, Egypt were randomly selected and asked about their nutritional knowledge, dietary behaviors and PAPM stages related to osteoporosis. Poor total knowledge about osteoporosis was found among 52.7% of women specially knowledge concerning nutritional risk factors of osteoporosis. More than two thirds of women (69.1%) had bad dietary behavior due to low consumption of food containing calcium and high consumption of food and drinks that inhibit calcium absorption. Using PAPM, 56.4% of women were unaware of osteoporosis problem, 13.6% have heard about the problem but were unengaged, only 5.5 % were concerned about the problem and were deciding to act and 24.5% of women were planning to take protective measures within the next 6 months. Poor nutritional knowledge, low educational level and low family income are main reasons for unawareness of osteoporosis problem as the first stage of PAPM. PAPM stages are associated with poor dietary preventive behavior toward osteoporosis. Nutritional education program about osteoporosis ought to be developed and implemented for the women in slum area in Alexandria, Egypt. [Sherine Gaber Mohamed, Dalia Ibrahim Tayel. Dietary Behavior toward Osteoporosis among Women in a Slum Area Influenced by Nutritional Knowledge and Stages of Precaution Adoption Model. J Am Sci 2012; 8(8):222227]. (ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www.jofamericanscience.org. 34