INTRODUCTION: Singapore has one of the world's most rapidly ageing populations. Osteoporosis is associated with significant morbidity and mortality from hip fractures in the elderly. This pilot study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practice of osteoporosis among Singaporean women aged ≥ 65 years, and assess barriers to osteoporosis screening. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 99 English-speaking women aged ≥ 65 years at two SingHealth polyclinics by convenience sampling. The validated Osteoporosis Prevention and Awareness Tool was used to assess their knowledge about osteoporosis prevention and awareness and perceived barriers to osteoporosis screening. Osteoporosis health education was provided, and bone mineral density (BMD) screening was offered to all participants. RESULTS: The response rate was 91.6%. The majority of the participants (54.5%) had low knowledge of osteoporosis, and only 12.1% had high knowledge scores. Higher education levels were associated with higher knowledge scores (p = 0.018). Although participants with higher knowledge scores were more willing to undergo osteoporosis screening, these findings did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.067). The top reasons for declining BMD testing were misconceptions that lifestyle management is sufficient to prevent osteoporosis, poor awareness and knowledge of the disease, and the perceived high cost of BMD testing. CONCLUSION Interventions should focus on osteoporosis education and, eventually, BMD screening for less-educated patients. Health education should rectify common misconceptions of the disease, increase awareness of osteoporosis and improve screening rates.

Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) is a common musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) that leads to a variety of negative consequences. The prevalence of LBP was found to be high worldwide. Individuals have been forced to remote studying or working conditions during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, exposing them to the risk factors of LBP to a greater extent. This is a cross-sectional study conducted among 623 adults and aimed to assess LBP intensity and prevalence among adults in Malaysia before and during the COVID-19 lockdown and to identify the association between demographic, physical and psychological factors with LBP. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire composed of 36 questions regarding demographic characteristics, physical activities and psychological aspects was distributed to the public. Pearson’s Chi-square and Fisher Exact tests were performed using collected data to assess the association between LBP intensity and various risk factors. Results: The prevalence of LBP increased from 64.4% before the lockdown to 83.5% during the lockdown. LBP intensity significantly increased during the lockdown. Before lockdown, factors associated with LBP intensity included gender and stress level. While during the lockdown, age, gender, occupation, time spent on computer use, ergonomics as well as stress level affected the intensity of LBP. Conclusion: The present study showed that the COVID-19 lockdown has contributed to the increase in both the prevalence and intensity of LBP among Malaysians. The identified risk factors include age, gender, occupation, duration of sitting and computer use, adherence to ergonomic recommendations, and stress level.