| Purpose:To explore the fracture risk perception and compliance for precautionary measures in elderly patients with osteoporotic fracture or re-fracture using descriptive qualitative research.Methods:Purposive sampling and a maximum variation strategy was used to select participants. Elderly patients with osteoporotic fracture or re-fracture from November 2015 to February 2016 in an Orthopedic Center of one hospital in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province were selected in this study. Sample size was determined based on the principles saturation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data were analyzed using content analysis. The cycles of coding, classification and theme extraction were used until saturation reached and no new themes were emerged.Results:A total of 13 participants were included in this study, aged from 62 to 88 years old.3 of them were males and 10 were females.7 of them were patients with a fracture for the first time, and 6 were patients with re-fracture. We got the following themes after analysis:the elderly just considered osteoporosis as a natural aging process, and they mistook a symptom for all of their understanding of osteoporosis, they ignored the potential threat of daily life and labor for osteoporotic fracture, their compliance for precautionary measures of osteoporotic fracture was low. The influence factors of cognitive deficiency on osteoporosis and fracture risk for elderly patients were as below:few knowledge source about osteoporosis, professionals have not done health education well, and the elderly have a decline in their ability of learning and memory. The influence factors of compliance for precautionary measures for osteoporotic fracture were as below:the elderly have the psychological characteristics that they don’t admit they are aging and they are stubborn, they have low demands for life and are used to old habits, and cognitive bias for osteoporosis as well as its severity, inadequate family support system, and economic and environmental limitation, also they only choose methods to cope with osteoporosis and to prevent fracture based on their own personal preferences and understanding.Conclusions:With the aging of society, osteoporotic fractures have been quietly threatening the elderly. It is a long way to change elderly people’s awareness of osteoporosis and fracture risk. Based on the results of this study, preventing and intervening measures were suggested as below:correcting the cognitive biases for osteoporosis and the fracture risk of elderly, strengthening daily life management, constructing family support systems, strengthening the education of re-fracture risk for patients with primary osteoporosis fractures, and intervening the fracture risk with a personalized strategy. |
PDF Full Text Request