The World Osteoporosis Day is annually observed on 20th October and this day works as an awareness campaign which aims to make people aware and educate about the osteoporosis and its affects.
Worldwide, one in every three women and one in every five men aged 50 years and over will suffer an osteoporotic fracture so this is a very major issue which our world is facing which needs to be addressed immediately hence this day is observed to highlight this issue.
Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and fragile, so that they break easily even as a result of a minor fall, a bump, a sneeze, or a sudden movement. Fractures caused by osteoporosis can be life-threatening and a major cause of pain and long-term disability.
| Event | World Osteoporosis Day |
|---|---|
| Date | October 20, 2022 |
| Day | Thursday |
| Significance | The day's goal is to raise awareness and educate people about osteoporosis and its consequences. |
| Observed by | World wide |
World Osteoporosis Day History:
Anthropologists have studied skeletal remains that showed loss of bone density and associated structural changes that were linked to a chronic malnutrition in the agricultural area in which these individuals lived. "It follows that the skeletal deformation may be attributed to their heavy labor in agriculture as well as to their chronic malnutrition", causing the osteoporosis seen when radiographs of the remains were made. So this states that osteoporosis existed from a very long time in human beings probably from the start of human and other animal species as well. However it was only in the early 1800s when French pathologist Jean Lobstein coined the term osteoporosis for the first time.
World Osteoporosis Day was launched on October 20 1996 by the United Kingdom's National Osteoporosis Society and supported by the European Commission. Since 1997, this awareness day has been organised by the International Osteoporosis Foundation(IOF). It is very interesting to see that prior to 1994, osteoporosis wasn't even considered a major disease. But in 1998, two prominent organizations committed to educating the public about osteoporosis, combined together to create the International Osteoporosis Foundation.
The founding of the IOF was a combination of the joint efforts of the European Foundation for Osteoporosis (EFFO) created in 1987 and the International Federation of Societies on Skeletal Diseases (IFSSD), which was started in 1995. By bringing these both organizations together under a single umbrella, there was a better focus and a co-mingling of resources for the world’s scientists, doctors and other health advocacy organizations who were fighting osteoporosis.
Then in 1998 and 1999, UN's World Health Organization acted as co-sponsor of World Osteoporosis Day. This day also marked the launch of a year-long campaign to raise awareness of osteoporosis and metabolic bone diseases throughout the world. Since 1999 these campaigns have featured a specific theme as well. Most recently in 2013 the International Osteoporosis Foundation also initiated another global campaign called "Capture the Fracture" that focuses on avoiding secondary bone fractures.
World Osteoporosis Day Significance:
World Osteoporosis Day (WOD) launches a year-long campaign dedicated to raising global awareness of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the disorder of osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease. It involves campaigns by national osteoporosis patient societies from around the world with activities in over 90 countries. Events and campaigns take place throughout the months leading up to and following WOD. It is a very major health awareness campaign of our world as osteoporosis is a very prevalent form of disorder in our world.
Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass, micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue leading to bone fragility, and consequent increase in fracture risk. It is the most common reason for a broken bone among the elderly people. Bones that commonly break include the vertebrae in the spine, the bones of the forearm, and the hip. Until a broken bone occurs there are typically no symptoms.
Bones may weaken to such a degree that a break may occur with minor stress or spontaneously. After the broken bone heals, the person may have chronic pain and a decreased ability to carry out day-to-day activities of his life. Osteoporosis may happen due to lower-than-normal maximum bone mass and greater-than-normal bone loss. Osteoporosis may also occur due to a number of diseases or treatments, including alcoholism, anorexia, hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, and surgical removal of the ovaries.
Osteoporosis becomes more common with age. About 15% of Caucasians in their 50s and 70% of those over 80 are affected. It is more common in women than men. In the developed world, depending on the method of diagnosis, 2% to 8% of males and 9% to 38% of females are affected. It happens in all races but Whites and Asians are at high risk of getting affected. Hence it is a very issue which needs to solved and for this prevention is the best solution which can be achieved by adopting a healthy lifestyle and getting rid of bad habits like smoking, alcohol intake, tobacco chewing, etc.
World Osteoporosis Day Theme:
The theme for World Osteoporosis Day 2022 set up by the International Osteoporosis Foundation is "Step Up for Bone Health."
This theme specifies the need to take immediate actions towards taking care and managing the osteoporosis and as well as in awaring the people about the steps in preventing it to happen. It aims to encourage people to take care of their bone health now to reduce their future risk of osteoporosis and broken bones.
For that this campaign also suggests five steps for the people in achieving it which include eating bone-healthy food means those foods who are enriched with calcium, protein, vitamins and nutrients. Next is exercising for fitness for atleast 30-40 minutes a day then it advises people to maintain their body weight and suggests them to avoid smoking and excessive intake of alcohol and at last it asks people to be alert to any personal risk factors like diseases, genetics, medications, height loss and menopause.
Most Searched FAQs on World Osteoporosis Day:
1. When is World Osteoporosis Day observed?
World Osteoporosis Day is annually observed on 20th October.
2. Does osteoporosis get worse with time?
The primary culprit for osteoporosis is the spinal compression fracture. It can get worse if you are in motion, like walking, running or standing.
3. What is the theme of World Osteoporosis Day 2022?
The theme of World Osteoporosis Day 2022 is "Step Up for Bone Health."