Osteoporosis (or brittle bones) is a global problem that has serious public health implications. Osteoporosis often leads to fractures of the hip, spine or wrist after only minor injury. These fractures lead to loss of function and disability. This has great impact on both the patients and their family. The consequences of hip fracture are severe. A recent local study showed that about 1 in 5 persons died within a year of sustaining an osteoporotic hip fracture and 1 in 3 became wheelchair bound or bedridden.
Rate of hip fracture is commonly used to indicate the prevalence of osteoporosis. In Singapore, the rate of hip fracture has been steadily increasing. Over the past 3 decades, hip fractures in women aged 50 and above have increased 5 folds from 75 cases to 402 cases per 100,000 population. Among men aged 50 and above, the increase was 1.5 times over the same period; from 103 cases to 152 cases per 100,000 population.
The contributing factors for the increasing trend in rate of hip fractures could be due to ageing population, increasingly sedentary lifestyle (lack of exercise) of the population as a whole and inadequate dietary calcium intake.
Aims of Programme The Osteoporosis Education Programme will educate the public about osteoporosis, its risk factors and preventive measures. It aims to educate the public on the:
importance of eating a healthy diet rich in calcium and;
doing regular weight-bearing exercises
to attain peak bone mass in the young and maintain / slow down bone loss after the age of 30.
Target Audience The programme will target the general public from young to old. A variety of strategies will be used to reach the various target groups.
Key Strategies The specific strategies comprise:
a)
Public education through face-to-face activities (e.g. talks, forums, exhibitions), mass media and dissemination of information via printed materials (e.g. booklets, pamphlets, poster).
Working with food industry to make available more foods enriched with calcium in the market (e.g. HPB has set a level of calcium as part of the guidelines to qualify for use of the "Healthier Choice Symbol" on soyabean milk and beancurd products.
c)
Training of health professionals and home economics teachers on the role of healthy and balanced diet in chronic disease prevention (e.g. osteoporosis).
"HPB is committed to helping Singaporeans attain optimal health through our health promotion and disease prevention programmes. HPB's website, 'HPB Online' offers the latest information about healthy living, health events and links you to a healthy lifestyle."
Tell A Friend
Print friendly
Osteoporosis (or brittle bones) is a global problem that has serious public health implications. Osteoporosis often leads to fractures of the hip, spine or wrist after only minor injury. These fractures lead to loss of function and disability. This has great impact on both the patients and their family. The consequences of hip fracture are severe. A recent local study showed that about 1 in 5 persons died within a year of sustaining an osteoporotic hip fracture and 1 in 3 became wheelchair bound or bedridden.