Needs of Women with Osteoporosis in Disease Self-Management: A Qualitative Study

Osteoporosis is a major chronic health condition that affects women more than men. A few qualitative studies have been conducted to investigate what women with osteoporosis need to manage their disease. The aim of the study was to determine the needs of women with osteoporosis in disease self-management. This qualitative study was conducted at the osteoporosis screening units of three private and governmental centers in Sanandaj, the West of Iran. A purposive sample was recruited from among all eligible women who attended the osteoporosis screening units from November 2015 to June 2016. The inclusion criteria were osteoporosis diagnosis by the woman’s attending physician for at least six months and prescribed osteoporosis medication. The exclusion criterion was a T-score of above -2.5. Data were collected by individual semi-structured interviews, focus group discussion, and drawings. The data were analyzed by conventional content analysis. To confirm the accuracy and strength of the data, credibility, confirmability, and transferability components were taken into account. Four themes emerged from the data analysis, including “social support”, “cultural-economic factors”, “improved implementation of health education”, and “having a normal living”. The results of the study showed that women with osteoporosis are in need of engagement and active participation of primary care physicians, regular review of patient’s care plan, planned care visits, improving the quality of care and patient outcomes, patient education and self-management education, the cooperation of the public media and relevant organizations, and emotional and informational support to improve their osteoporosis self-management.