Osteoporosis health beliefs and knowledge in college students: the role of dietary restraint.

This study investigated the relationship between dietary restraint (DR) and osteoporosis-related knowledge and beliefs in college women and men. A total of 517 university students completed measures of osteoporosis knowledge, perceived susceptibility to and severity of osteoporosis, barriers to and benefits of calcium and exercise, health motivation, exercise and calcium self-efficacy, and DR. Two MANOVAs were conducted to examine differences between high and low dietary restrainers on osteoporosis beliefs and knowledge. For women, HR scored higher on perceived susceptibility to, and severity of, osteoporosis, calcium barriers, and health motivation; for men, HR scored lower on exercise benefits. These results suggest that DR may be related to osteoporosis beliefs and knowledge differently for men and women.