Evidence Based Practice Appraisal

Post-menopausal women are highly susceptible to osteoporosis due to the decline of estrogen in the body. The reduction in estrogen along with other risk factors that may be present, make midlife women at high risk for developing osteoporosis and fractures. Evidence based practice research has provided many measures that can be taken to prevent or manage osteoporosis which include diet, exercise, and modifying behaviors that increase risk and susceptibility. Weight - bearing and resistance exercise, limiting alcohol and caffeine intake, smoking cessation, and fall prevention strategies are part of a bone - healthy life style used to manage postmenopausal osteoporosis. Health care providers such as pharmacists and nurses may have the ability improve and optimize the management of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women by counseling them on a bone - healthy lifestyle and making recommendations for calcium and vitamin D supplements and osteoporosis medication to prevent or treat the disease (. The question here is, “Will educating and counseling of midlife women encourage them to make positive changes to their lifestyle resulting in decreased susceptibility to osteoporosis?”.

According to the current level of knowledge promoting education and prevention teaching strategies to patients is the most sensible and effective way to prevent osteoporosis. Educating individuals on risk factors such as a family history of osteoporosis, diet low in calcium and vitamin D, smoking, alcohol use in addition to testing their post learning knowledge, has the potential to decrease susceptibility to the disease (Dunniway, 2012). In Dunniway’s study, “FRAX counseling for bone health behavior change in women 50 years of age and older’, a FRAX assessment tool, self-administered survey which judged the presence or absence of risk factors, was used to