NYON, Switzerland, October 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Osteoporosis can lead to painful fractures, disability and early death, but continues to be ignored by the general public and neglected by doctors during routine physical check-ups
New survey findings released on World Osteoporosis Day by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), show that on average, 90% of 13,258 adults questioned are unaware of how common osteoporotic fractures are in men. With one in five men aged 50 years or over affected, the data confirm that although common, serious and potentially life-threatening, osteoporosis remains a vastly underestimated and neglected health issue. The multi-national survey, carried out in adults from 12 countries showed that this ignorance was universal and independent of gender or geography.
Prof. John Kanis, President, IOF, said: "The sad reality is that by not knowing their risk, men are leaving themselves vulnerable to a future of pain, disability and possibly early death. The problem is being further exacerbated by doctors not addressing the bone health of their patients during routine check-ups." According to the survey, men in the 50+ age group who had had a check-up were 18% less likely than women of the same age to have any form of bone health assessment. This difference was even more pronounced in certain countries, including USA (31%), Brazil (30%), Belgium (23%) and Spain (22%).
The survey revealed that:
About the survey
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Fieldwork was carried out online in July 2014* in the following countries/sample sizes: Australia (1000), Belgium (1000), Brazil (1001), China (1031), India (1045), Jordan (1001), Mexico (1032), South Africa (502), Spain (1029), United Arab Emirates (1026), United Kingdom (2424), USA (1167). Figures have been weighted and are representative of all adults (aged 18+) in the respective country.
*Survey fact sheet: http://www.worldosteoporosisday.org/press-centre
World Osteoporosis Day, observed annually on 20 October, marks a year-long campaign http://www.worldosteoporosisday.org
World Osteoporosis Day is supported globally by unrestricted educational grants from Amgen, UCB, Fonterra, Lilly, MSD, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare
About International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF)
IOF is the world's largest NGO dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and related musculoskeletal diseases. http://www.iofbonehealth.org
Media contact
Charanjit K. Jagait, IOF
Phone +41-79-874-52-08, cjagait@iofbonehealth.org