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Awareness of risk of osteoporosis may cause uncertainty and worry in menopausal women

Central Research Unit and Department of General Practice, University of Copenhagen, Panum Institute, Denmark, lotte.hvas{at}dadlnet.dk

Susanne Reventlow

Central Research Unit and Department of General Practice, University of Copenhagen, Panum Institute, Denmark

Hans L. Jensen

Central Research Unit and Department of General Practice, University of Copenhagen, Panum Institute, Denmark

Kirsti Malterud

Central Research Unit and Department of General Practice, University of Copenhagen, Panum Institute, Denmark, Section for General Practice, Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care, University of Bergen, Norway

Aims: A study was undertaken to explore how menopausal women are affected by awareness of potential risk of osteoporosis. Methods: A qualitative interview study, including analysis of in-depth interviews with 17 women who independently gave views on risk, out of 24 women interviewed about their menopausal symptoms. The women were selected on the basis of a survey including 1261 women chosen at random, to cover a broad spectrum of Danish women, their menopausal experiences, and contact with the healthcare system. The study was part of a larger project targeting menopause. Results: Awareness of osteoporosis risk caused a feeling of uncertainty and worry in some women. Only women reacting in this way seemed to act in order to prevent future fractures. The affected women were puzzled to realize that risk-reducing medication could introduce new hazards. Most of the women had heard about osteoporosis related to menopause as culturally embedded knowledge. Conclusions: Making individual women uncertain and worried must be considered a potentially serious side effect of health promotion. The findings raise the question of whether introducing healthy people to the threat of future diseases is ethically justifiable. As hormonal treatment is no longer recommended for long-term use, it is suggested that the strong link between osteoporosis and menopause should be toned down when counselling menopausal women.

Key Words: Awareness • communication • counselling • family practice • menopause • osteoporosis • qualitative research • risk • uncertainty

Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, Vol. 33, No. 3, 203-207 (2005)
DOI: 10.1080/14034940510005716


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