Lived Experiences of Postmenopausal Omani Women with Osteoporosis

Background: Osteoporosis is a globally significant clinical public health problem
associated with age-related fractures [1,2]. Most research on the impact of the
disease has been based on quantitative survey data. There are relatively few
qualitative studies exploring women’s lived experience with osteoporosis. Furthermore, most data are from Western countries, with no data from the Middle East. Direct access to lived experiences is a powerful tool for gaining insights into a disease [3].
This study aimed to determine the lived experience of postmenopausal Omani women with osteoporosis.
Objectives: This study sought to answer three questions:
1.What does living with osteoporosis mean for postmenopausal Omani women?
2.How does culture impact the lives of postmenopausal Omani women with
osteoporosis?
3.How do postmenopausal Omani women with osteoporosis perceive the support and care provided by healthcare professionals?
Methods: An interpretive phenomenology design was used with a purposive
sample of 15 postmenopausal Omani women with osteoporosis and fragility
fractures from primary and secondary care facilities in Muscat, Oman. Audio
recorded, semi-structured, one-on-one interviews were held by Zoom and
telephone; Crist and Tanner’s framework was used to analyze data and identify key themes.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 63 years. Five (33.3%) reported
a previous fracture. Just over half (53%) were illiterate; three (20%) had studied
in college. Key themes related to their lived experience emerged from the data
analysis: culture and religion; health care professionals’ attitudes; and services
and treatment regimen. The subjects’ social and cultural lives were negatively
impacted by osteoporosis and fragility fractures, which prevented some from
attending celebrations such as close family marriages and religious gatherings.
Participants played significant care-giving roles as wives, mothers and grandmothers but many were unable to perform many household chores, such as
cooking, due to the osteoporosis and fractures. They perceived healthcare professionals through the professionals’ communication styles and information they provided. Participants satisfied with their doctor’s communication style described it as humanistic, with humour added, noting they provide health information and understand patients’ needs. Those not satisfied indicated their doctors had poor communication styles, showed insufficient interest in them, and asked few questions during their appointments. Professionals at in-patient clinics were perceived as more caring and empathetic than those at out-patient clinics. Treatment abroad was preferred by these women, though some were highly satisfied with their treatment from Omani hospitals. Beliefs about and usage of traditional herbal remedies for the management of fragility fractures differed between educated and non-educated women.
Conclusion: This study explored postmenopausal Omani women’s experiences
of living with osteoporosis and fragility fractures including the impact of the disease on social and cultural life. It contributes also to our understanding of the
experience of the disease in non-western settings.
REFERENCES:
[1] Barake M, El Eid R, Chakhtoura M, Meho L, Mahmoud T, Atieh J, et al.
Osteoporotic hip and vertebral fractures in the Arab region: a systematic
review. Osteoporosis International [Internet]. 2021. Available from: https://doi.
org/10.1007/s00198-021-05937-z
[2] Kanis JA, McCloskey EV, Johansson H, Cooper C, Rizzoli R, Reginster JY.
European guidance for the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in
postmenopausal women. Osteoporosis International. 2013; 24:23-57.
[3] McIntosh I, Wright, S. Exploring what the notion of ‘lived experience’ offers for social policy analyses. J Soc Policy. 2018;48(3):449-67.
Disclosure of Interests: None declared
DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2022-eular.68