A Curtin University study of more than 1,400 Australians over 50 has revealed a quiet but consequential gap in how older people understand their own bodies: most cannot identify the exercises or habits that protect bones from the slow, invisible weakening that precedes a fracture. Osteoporosis has long been a condition that announces itself only in crisis, and this research suggests the silence around it is partly of our own making — shaped by low awareness, misplaced health priorities, and a tendency to believe fragility belongs to someone else's story. The findings arrive as a reminder that
Older Australians dangerously unaware of osteoporosis risks, Curtin study finds
Osteoporosis-related fractures represent serious medical events with potential for disability and reduced quality of life in older adults.
Osteoporosis can go unnoticed until someone breaks a bone
Mark
Why does it matter if people don't know about osteoporosis? Isn't it just one condition among many?
Mimi
Because it's silent until it breaks you. A fracture at 70 or 80 can end independence. You fall, your hip shatters, and suddenly you're in a hospital bed, then maybe a care facility. That's not just a medical event—it's a life event.
Mark
But the study shows people are more worried about cancer and weight. Aren't those legitimate concerns?
Mimi
They are. But osteoporosis is preventable in ways those conditions aren't always. You can't always control whether you get cancer, but you can do resistance training, improve your balance, know your family history. The problem is people don't realize that.
Mark
The scores were really low—29.5 out of 100. Does that surprise you?
Mimi
Not really. We don't talk about bones the way we talk about hearts or lungs. There's no awareness campaign. People hear "stay active" as general advice, but they don't connect it to bone strength specifically.
Mark
Why are men scoring so much worse than women?
Mimi
Osteoporosis is often framed as a women's issue because it accelerates after menopause. Men think it's not their problem. But men get osteoporosis too, and they're less likely to be screened or to know they're at risk.
Mark
What would actually change this?
Mimi
Clearer messaging. People need to know: Do you have a family history? Yes? Then you need to do these specific exercises. Not just "be active," but actual resistance training, balance work. And they need to hear it from someone they trust—their doctor, their physiotherapist.
Mark
Is it too late if you're already 70 or 80?
Mimi
No. You can still build bone density and improve balance at any age. But it's easier to prevent than to recover from a fracture. That's the whole point.
El Pulso
- More than 1,400 Australians over 50 averaged just 29.5 out of 100 on bone health knowledge — a score that signals not ignorance but a system that has failed to make the stakes feel real.
- Men are more than twice as likely as women to lack basic osteoporosis knowledge, and only 18 percent of participants — even those with family histories of the condition — said they actively worked to reduce their risk.
- Osteoporosis ranked near the bottom of people's health concerns, with hip fractures worrying just one percent of respondents, despite their well-documented power to trigger disability, lost independence, and cascading decline.
- Researchers and health advocates are calling for targeted education campaigns that name specific exercises — resistance training, balance work — and connect them directly to bone protection, not just general wellness.
- The path forward is practical and available: understanding family history, beginning strength and balance programs before a fracture forces the issue, and treating bone health as a dimension of independence worth defending now.
A Curtin University study of more than 1,400 Australians over 50 has revealed a quiet but consequential gap in how older people understand their own bodies: most cannot identify the exercises or habits that protect bones from the slow, invisible weakening that precedes a fracture. Osteoporosis has long been a condition that announces itself only in crisis, and this research suggests the silence around it is partly of our own making — shaped by low awareness, misplaced health priorities, and a tendency to believe fragility belongs to someone else's story. The findings arrive as a reminder that prevention is not passive, and that the window for meaningful action remains open far longer than most people realise.
A Curtin University study has found that most Australians over 50 have a significant blind spot when it comes to bone health. Across more than 1,400 participants, the average score on an osteoporosis knowledge test was just 29.5 out of 100. More than half could not identify resistance training as a way to strengthen bones, and more than a third did not know which exercises reduce the risk of falls — the events most likely to cause the fractures that osteoporosis makes dangerous.
The knowledge gaps followed clear patterns. Men were more than twice as likely as women to score poorly. Older participants, those with less formal education, and people without a family history of the condition were also more likely to lack basic understanding. That last finding carries particular weight: 30 percent of women and 13 percent of men in the study reported a family history of osteoporosis, yet only 18 percent said they were actively doing anything to reduce their own risk.
Lead researcher Phuong Dung Lam observed that people broadly understand exercise and nutrition as good for health, but rarely connect those habits to bone protection specifically. The condition stays abstract — something distant — until a fracture makes it suddenly, painfully real. When participants were asked to rank their health concerns, osteoporosis appeared near the bottom. Only 4.5 percent named it their greatest worry; hip fractures concerned just one percent, despite their capacity to set off a cascade of disability and lost independence.
Professor Deborah Kerr, a senior author on the study, pointed to osteoporosis's defining characteristic as a public health problem: it is entirely silent until something breaks. That invisibility makes it easy to dismiss. But she was clear that the risk is both knowable and manageable — family history is a starting point, and the practical steps that follow are accessible to most people.
Ric Forlano of Arthritis & Osteoporosis WA reinforced the message: his organisation regularly sees people arrive only after an injury has already occurred. The prevention window, he stressed, is longer than most realise. The study, published in the journal Bone, calls for education campaigns that are more direct — naming the exercises that work, connecting bone strength to future independence, and reaching people before crisis makes the lesson unavoidable.
A Curtin University study of more than 1,400 Australians over 50 has exposed a troubling blind spot: most people in this age group do not understand the basics of bone health, and many cannot identify the exercises that might save them from a fracture later in life.
The participants scored an average of just 29.5 out of 100 on a test of osteoporosis knowledge. More than half could not name resistance training as a way to strengthen bones. More than one-third did not know which exercises improve balance and reduce the risk of falls—the very thing that often triggers the fractures osteoporosis makes possible. Osteoporosis itself is a condition that weakens bones gradually, often without any warning, until something breaks.
The gaps were not random. Men were more than twice as likely as women to have limited knowledge. Older participants, those with less education, and people without a family history of osteoporosis were also more likely to score poorly. Yet family history matters: 30 percent of women and 13 percent of men in the study reported that osteoporosis ran in their families. Despite this, only 18 percent said they actively worked to reduce their own risk.
Phuong Dung Lam, the lead researcher from Curtin's School of Population Health, framed the problem plainly. People understand that exercise and good nutrition matter for health in general, she said, but they do not connect those habits to bone protection specifically. The condition remains abstract, something that happens to other people, until a fracture makes it suddenly concrete.
When researchers asked participants to rank their health concerns, osteoporosis barely registered. Only 4.5 percent named it as their greatest worry. Hip fractures—one of the most serious consequences of osteoporosis—concerned just one percent. Cancer and being overweight ranked far higher in people's minds, even though a broken bone in older age can trigger a cascade of complications: disability, loss of independence, reduced quality of life.
Professor Deborah Kerr, a senior author on the study, noted that osteoporosis has a particular advantage as a silent threat: it can remain completely undetected until something breaks. That invisibility makes it easy to ignore. But she emphasized that the risk is knowable and manageable. Understanding family history is a starting point. After that, the steps are practical: strength training, balance work, attention to nutrition. These are things people can begin doing now, before a fracture forces the issue.
Ric Forlano, chief executive of Arthritis & Osteoporosis WA, echoed that message. The research confirms what his organization sees regularly: people do not think about bone health until after an injury. But the window for prevention is open much longer than most realize. Exercise programs tailored to individual ability can build strength and improve balance. The key is starting before crisis arrives, and that requires people to understand their own risk.
The study, published in the journal Bone, suggests that education campaigns need to be clearer and more direct. People need to know whether osteoporosis runs in their family. They need to understand which exercises actually work. They need to hear, repeatedly, that protecting bones now is part of protecting independence later. Right now, that message is not getting through.
Citas Notables
People know that being active and eating well is important for their health, but they may not realise how important it is to protect their bones.— Phuong Dung Lam, Curtin University School of Population Health
Osteoporosis can go unnoticed until someone breaks a bone, so it is easy to put it out of mind. The most important thing a person can do is know their risk.— Professor Deborah Kerr, Curtin University School of Population Health
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