Osteoporosis patient education may reduce falls in Parkinson’s: Study
Bone-weakening condition common in Parkinson's, linked to fracture risk
Taking steps to increase patient education about osteoporosis — a bone-weakening condition that’s common in people with Parkinson’s disease — could potentially lower the risk of falls and encourage higher calcium intake for stronger bones among those with both conditions, a new study suggests.
The researchers recommended distributing an educational brochure about the bone condition, and combining that with “a training program for osteoporosis, specifically for [Parkinson’s disease].” The team noted that “osteoporosis is frequently seen in patients with [Parkinson’s] and it is one of the chronic diseases with the highest risk of fracture, mostly in the hip.”
In this study, which involved more than 50 individuals in Turkey, “osteoporosis education had some positive effects in patients with [Parkinson’s], even when only given the brochure,” the researchers wrote. “With additional verbal education, more benefits can be obtained.”
The study, “The effect of osteoporosis education on osteoporosis knowledge level and daily life in Parkinson’s disease patients: A 12-week, randomized-controlled trial,” was published in the Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Best results seen with brochure on osteoporosis plus patient education
Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and brittle, which can be concerning for older people, especially those with Parkinson’s, who are at risk of frequent falls. Here, the team of researchers sought to understand if teaching patients about osteoporosis could improve both their knowledge and daily habits.
“Although patient education, as a prevention and treatment method, is not a sufficient method alone to create behavior change, some behavioral changes may occur if the individual’s decision to control the disease develops,” the researchers wrote. “This is called self-management.”
The study took place between May and December 2019 and involved 54 adults with Parkinson’s. Altogether there were 34 men and 20 women, with an average age of 68.5. The participants were randomly split into two groups: one, which served as the control group, was given only a brochure about osteoporosis; the other, dubbed the intervention group, received the brochure plus additional verbal education.
The patients were tested — at the start of the study and after 12 weeks, or about three months — for physical activity, calcium intake, and number of falls. The study also looked at changes in osteoporosis knowledge and habits like smoking and alcohol use.
The data showed that the intervention group had fewer falls compared with the control group, suggesting that patient osteoporosis education helped reduce the risk of falls. Both groups showed improvements in osteoporosis knowledge and calcium intake, but the intervention group did better in physical activity and leisure activities.
Although patient education, as a prevention and treatment method, is not a sufficient method alone to create behavior change, some behavioral changes may occur if the individual’s decision to control the disease develops.
According to the researchers, these findings show that osteoporosis education can help improve knowledge and daily habits in people with Parkinson’s. While giving out a brochure had some benefits, the extra verbal education led to better results, the team noted.
“Further large-scale studies with longer follow-up period, more intensive and applied education methods, more objective evaluation methods and a no intervention group are warranted to confirm these findings,” the researchers concluded.
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