Introduction: Osteoporosis is a chronic condition with serious sequela, including primarily bone fractures, and impacts on almost all spheres of human life. It is important for patients undergoing treatment to accept their health status and feel satisfied with life.
Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between socio-demographic factors, duration of the illness, self-assessment of the patient's knowledge of osteoporosis, and also between illness management support and acceptance of the illness and life satisfaction among females with chronic osteoporosis, resident in rural areas.
Material and methods: The study, conducted from September 2016 - June 2017, involved 207 patients of the Clinic of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation and the Clinic of Gynaecology at the Independent Public Teaching Hospital No. 4 in Lublin, eastern Poland. The study used the Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS) and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). Statistical analysis was performed with Student's t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Tukey's range test, and chi-squared test. A p-value of <0.05 defined statistical significance of differences. The analysis was performed using commercial SPSS Statistics 19 software (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA).
Results: The respondents showed average acceptance of their illness (22.2±6.9) and relatively low satisfaction with life (14.7±5.6). Older age, low level of education, poor living conditions, prolonged illness, and frequent ailments are all associated with lower acceptance of the illness and poorer life satisfaction.
Conclusions: As part of their treatment, chronically ill patients should be provided with appropriate support, in particular from healthcare personnel, health education and improved living conditions.
Keywords: acceptance of the illness; life satisfaction; osteoporosis; social support.