Asian Federation of Osteoporosis Societies

Fight the Fracture-IOF Survey 2017

Background and Methodology:

Fight the Fracture, a public education campaign, aims to empower patients who have suffered a fragility fracture and their caregivers to proactively seek medical professional help in secondary care prevention ‒ the prevention of a subsequent fracture. The campaign will provide them with educational information, tools and resources. With this support in place, we envision patients will have a better understanding and awareness of fragility fractures and a common underlying cause, osteoporosis. Our goal is to encourage them to take the necessary steps to initiate a conversation with their doctor toward improved, proactive management of their condition.

Supported by the International Osteoporosis Foundation and Amgen, the Fight the Fracture-IOF Survey 2017 was conducted in June 2017, through interviews with 400 patients who have suffered a fragility fracture across five Asia Pacific countries/territories – Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. All patients surveyed had suffered a fracture within the last two years and are aged 60 or older.

Key Findings:

A Failure to Connect
New survey shows patients in Asia Pacific fail to recognise that their fragility fracture is due to osteoporosis and miss the opportunity to prevent another fracture.

Nearly half of patients who have suffered a fracture do not know that it is a warning sign for osteoporosis.
Almost 40% of patients were not sure, or did not believe that they are at risk of having another fracture, whether at the same or different site.
Although a majority of patients (78%) claim they know what osteoporosis is, over 80% of patients believe that weak bones are an inevitable feature of the normal ageing process.
Nearly one-third (29%) of patients did not discuss fracture prevention and osteoporosis, the underlying cause, with their doctor.

What’s the Danger?

Almost 80% of patients say their fractures have had a great impact on their quality of life.
Almost three quarters (74%) of patients in Asia Pacific who have had a fragility fracture say they are worried or very worried about breaking another bone.

The earlier the diagnosis, the better

3 out of 4 (75%) of patients with early diagnosis of osteoporosis agree it was key in preventing another fracture.
4 out of 5 (80%) of patients with late diagnosis of osteoporosis wish they had received it earlier as they feel they would have benefited from it.

Country-specific findings:

Hong Kong

66% of patients with fragility fractures believe that their fall was the sole cause of their fracture.
More than 8 in 10 believe that weak bones are inevitable and related to ageing
94% of patients have experienced a great impact on their quality of life due to their fracture.
98% of patients are worried or very worried about breaking another bone.
Nearly half of patients with early diagnosis of osteoporosis agree it was key in preventing another fracture.
Two-thirds of patients with late diagnosis of osteoporosis wish they had received it earlier.

Japan

78% of patients with fragility fractures believe that their fall was the sole cause of their fracture.
83% believe that weak bones are inevitable and related to ageing
Almost half of patients have experienced a great impact on their quality of life due to their fracture.
49% of patients are worried or very worried about breaking another bone.
70% of patients with early diagnosis of osteoporosis agree it was key in preventing another fracture.
Almost one-third of patients with late diagnosis of osteoporosis wish they had received it earlier.

Singapore

Nearly half of patients with fragility fractures believe that their fall was the sole cause of their fracture.
More than 7 in 10 believe that weak bones are inevitable and related to ageing
74% of patients have experienced a great impact on their quality of life due to their fracture.
42% of patients are worried or very worried about breaking another bone.
62% of patients with early diagnosis of osteoporosis agree it was key in preventing another fracture.
89% of patients with late diagnosis of osteoporosis wish they had received it earlier.

Taiwan

More than 1 in 5 patients with fragility fractures believe that their fall was the sole cause of their fracture.
More than 8 in 10 believe that weak bones are inevitable and related to ageing
80% of patients have experienced a great impact on their quality of life due to their fracture.
84% of patients are worried or very worried about breaking another bone.
62% of patients with early diagnosis of osteoporosis agree it was key in preventing another fracture.
84% of patients with late diagnosis of osteoporosis wish they had received it earlier.

Thailand

More than 1 in 5 patients with fragility fractures believe that their fall was the sole cause of their fracture.
More than 8 in 10 believe that weak bones are inevitable and related to ageing
100% of patients have experienced a great impact on their quality of life due to their fracture.
97% of patients are worried or very worried about breaking another bone.
99% of patients with early diagnosis of osteoporosis agree it was key in preventing another fracture.
96% of patients with late diagnosis of osteoporosis wish they had received it earlier.