Michael Gordon, MD, MSc, FRCPC, FRCP Edin, Medical Program Director, Palliative Care Baycrest Geriatric Health Care System; Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.
Kayi Li, BHSc, medical student, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.
Osteoporosis is a systemic disease resulting in bone fragility and increased risk of fractures. For optimal prevention, the literature increasingly supports the combined use of education on nutrition, lifestyle, and exercise. Currently, multidisciplinary, multimodal initiatives are rarely implemented in the community. The POWER (Promoting Osteoporosis Wellness through Education, Exercise and Resources) program in Toronto, Ontario, strives to empower individuals with osteoporosis with diverse cultural backgrounds to sustain healthy behaviours for self-management of their condition. This article provides a description of the POWER program philosophy, as well as a preliminary evaluation to assess its benefits and potential for further expansion and adaptation.
Key words: osteoporosis, management program, cultural differences, education, health beliefs.
