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Document Type

Thesis - University Access Only

Award Date

1990

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department / School

Graduate Nursing

First Advisor

William McBreen

Keywords

prevention of osteoporosis, health risk assessment of women college students, age factors of health behavior, health education of women

Abstract

Knowledge, health beliefs, and behaviors, including calcium intake, associated with the practice of osteoporosis prevention were identified. The study also supported the major tenets of the Health Belief Model in a sample of young college women from a midwestern university, extending the applicability of the model to a disease which causes a high morbidity rate in American women.
Perceived susceptibility to developing osteoporosis revealed an inverse correlation to preventive practice. Knowledge level was a predictor of the calcium intake. Demographic data from an apparently homeogensis group did not indeicate any significant relationships.
Continued work on the validation and testing of health belief instruments is needed in order to in crease the use of the model for those in nursing and public health practice. Nursing professes to deal with all dimensions of a person and therefore addresses the clients' beliefs and perceptions of disease. Extention of the Health Belief Model to other health conditions and populations not only lends support to the model as a theoretically valid entity, but provides a sound theoretical basis for nursing interventions.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Osteoporosis -- Prevention
Women college students -- Health risk assessment
Health behavior -- Age factors
Health education of women

Format

application/pdf

Number of Pages

97

Publisher

South Dakota State University

Rights

Copyright © 1990 Joanne Mehlhaff. All rights reserved

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