Canadians Not Getting Tested For Osteoporosis,
Despite High Awareness

Toronto, ON - Despite the fact that almost nine in ten (89%) Canadians aged 50 or older know at least a little about osteoporosis, a disease characterized by low bone mass and the break down of bone tissue, seven in ten (70%) have never been tested for the disease. Just three in ten (30%) maintain that they have indeed had a bone mineral density test (or BMD), a procedure which checks for the existence of osteoporosis--indicating the existence of a gap between knowledge and practice.

Although half (51%) of Canadian adults aged 50 and over say they have a personal connection to osteoporosis--whether it be through an acquaintance (36%), a family member (17%) or being diagnosed with the disease themselves (10%)--it appears that, despite being fairly visible in their lives, many are still not being tested for the disease.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Osteoporosis Canada from May 15 to May 24, 2007. For the survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 875 adults aged 50 and older across Canada was interviewed by telephone. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 177 3.3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult population with children this age been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure that the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data.

Most Canadians (89%) Know At Least A Little...

Nearly nine in ten (89%) Canadians age 50 and older say that they know `a lot' (30%), `some' (28%), or `a little' (30%) about osteoporosis. Just 11% of Canadians aged 50 and over say that they know `nothing at all'.

• Women (40%) are twice as likely as men (18%) to say that they know `a lot' about osteoporosis.
• A knowledge gap also exists between those with a university degree and those without a high school diploma, with nearly four in ten (36%) with a university degree saying that they know `a lot' about the disease, and only two in ten (21%) without a high school diploma saying that they know `a lot'.

Just Three In Ten (30%) Have Been Tested...

Just three in ten (30%) Canadians aged 50 and over have been tested for osteoporosis. However, the incidence rates among different demographic groupings and regions across Canada are not consistent:

• Nearly half (47%) of women aged 50 and up say that they have had a BMD test, compared to just 10% of men.
• Over one third (35%) of Ontarians and Albertans (34%) claim to have had a BMD test, while just 19% of those in Atlantic Canada, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have had the test.
• Those over the age of 64 are slightly more likely (33%) to have had the test than those aged 50-64 (28%), suggesting that perhaps Canadians are not being tested as early as they ought to be.

While three in ten (30%) Canadians aged 50 and older have been tested for osteoporosis, even fewer (24%) have spoken to a health care professional about the disease.

• Women (36%) are more likely than men (10%) to have had this discussion with health care professional.
• Canadians in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are most likely (27%) to have spoken with a health care professional about osteoporosis, compared to only 18% of those in Atlantic Canada.

For more Information on this news release, please contact:
Glenys A. Babcock
Vice President
Ipsos Reid Public Affairs
(416) 572-4418
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

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