Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bones to become fragile and more likely to break. If not prevented or if left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone breaks. These broken bones, also called fractures, typically occur in the hip, spine and wrist. Research indicates that osteoporosis is responsible for more than 1.5 million fractures each year.

Eighty percent of those affected by osteoporosis are women. Caucasian and Asian women are at greatest risk for developing osteoporosis.  Some factors that increase the risk of developing osteoporosis include:

Osteoporosis is a silent disease that causes no symptoms until a fracture occurs. This is why prevention and early recognition are important. Risk factors are similar in men and women. Men of all ethnic groups are affected; however, Caucasian men appear to be at the greatest risk for osteoporosis. 

Risk factors for osteoporosis

Preventing osteoporosis

Testing and treating osteoporosis

Osteoporosis Facts and Stats

Please join Kentucky's Department for Public Health (DPH) Osteoporosis Prevention and Education Program in an effort to create a coordinated system of delivering the Strong Women Program (SWP) in Kentucky by increasing the number of trained leaders and geographic accessibility of the course among women in Kentucky.

Five sites will be selected to pilot-test the SWP program in Kentucky. Selected sites will receive the one-day SWP leader training for up to three identified and qualified leaders, SWP toolkit, recruitment and program planning assistance, communication and marketing material templates, stipend for start-up equipment, and on-going program implementation support from the Department for Public Health Osteoporosis Prevention and Education Program.

Sites interested in becoming a pilot for the SWP must complete this short application, Site Commitment Form and the Support Form from the health department serving the applicant's community before 5:00 p.m. on August 25, 2008.  All documents mentioned are attached to this request.

The training will be conducted in Bowling Green at the Barren River District Health Department on September 30, 2008. A total of five sites will be selected for this training; invitations will be extended to only those available for the entire training, have plans to implement the training in their region, and have the ability to reach the greatest number of individuals throughout their service region. For more information about SWP and other training opportunities, please visit the Tufts University Web site.

Applicants are encouraged to seek out community partners to assist with implementing this program.  Community partners can include but are not limited to:  Health Departments, Senior Centers, Area Agencies on Aging, Cooperative Extension, Area Health Education Centers, Faith-Based organizations, etc.  For all applicants, the Director of the local health department must sign the Support Form for the application.

For additional information about this RFP, contact Angela Deokar, Osteoporosis Program Manager at 502-564-7996, extension 3679.