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Just a
few minutes of osteoporosis prevention education in the doctor's
office before an appointment can enhance the motivation of
women to begin taking a calcium supplement, according to a
study reported in a recent issue of the journal Menopause.
Millions
of Americans still fail to consume adequate amounts of calcium
despite a decade of attempts to educate them about the importance
of bone health, according to the study.
Lead researcher Dr. Gloria Bachmann, associate dean for Women's
Health at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New
Jersey, and her colleagues found that over 25% of women began
taking calcium supplements after watching a 10-minute osteoporosis
education video prior to seeing their doctor. Only 4.9% who
saw their doctor but did not receive this education began
taking calcium supplements.
According
to the researchers, calcium with vitamin D is proven to help
prevent osteoporosis, a condition that affects an estimated
44 million Americans, 68% of whom are women.
The researchers
also noted that little improvement has been made in the 10
years since the National Institutes of Health published a
study that found that a large percentage of Americans failed
to meet recommended guidelines for calcium intake.
Source:
Medical Week staff,
week of July 26, 2004
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