THE MEANING OF OSTEOPOROSIS IN THE LIVES OF RURAL OLDER WOMEN

Abstract

Twenty-one older women living in three rural communities participated in focus groups to explore the functional and psychosocial consequences of living with osteoporosis. The increased risk of fracture and daily pain associated with the disease frequently precluded or interfered with the completion of daily activities for these women. Those living on farms faced the additional challenge of avoiding the risk of falls while continuing to do the physical labor necessary to maintain their rural lifestyle. Many of the women turned to their spouses or other family members for assistance with daily tasks, forcing the women to relinquish their own caregiver roles. The disease caused many of the women to reassess their own selfconcept and decrease their participation in valued social activities. Maintaining independence was an ongoing concern.