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Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge and health beliefs regarding osteoporosis risk factors of New Zealand women aged 20-49 years., Design: A descriptive, web-based survey., Subjects: An opportunistic sample of 622 women aged between 20 and 49 years living in Auckland, New Zealand was recruited by email., Results: There was a moderate level of knowledge about osteoporosis risk factors among the women surveyed, with a mean total score for all subjects of 16.4 (standard deviation (SD) 4.0) out of a possible 26 correct responses. Mean scores for osteoporosis knowledge were statistically different by age group, with women aged 40-49 years scoring higher than those aged 30-39 years and 20-29 years (17.3 (SD 4.0), 16.4 (SD 4.1) and 15.8 (SD 3.9), respectively, P<0.001). Overall, about a third of the women perceived that they were likely to develop osteoporosis and 22% believed the disease to be potentially crippling. Most women were aware of the benefits of exercise and optimal calcium nutrition in preventing osteoporosis. Few women perceived barriers to exercise participation and eating calcium-rich foods. Older women (40-49 years) were more motivated to take care of their health than younger women (P<0.001). A large percentage of subjects (77%) thought that calcium-rich foods contained too much cholesterol., Conclusions: Despite reporting higher than average educational attainment and health consciousness, these women demonstrated average levels of knowledge about osteoporosis risk factors. They had low feelings of susceptibility towards development of osteoporosis, but most considered it to be a serious disease.

Objective: To identify consumer attitudes and beliefs about (liquid) milk that may be barriers to consumption., Design: Two random-quota telephone surveys conducted in Auckland one year apart. Respondents were questioned about their usual milk intake and their attitudes to milk. The questionnaire included attitude items that reflected the main themes of consumer interest in milk., Setting: New Zealand., Subjects: Seven hundred and thirteen respondents in the baseline survey and a separate sample of 719 respondents in the follow-up survey., Results: At least one-third of the respondents consumed less than a glass (250 ml) of milk a day. Non-consumption was highest in young women (15%). People's concerns about milk related to what was important in their lives; what threatens them physically and emotionally. Women held more positive attitudes but they were concerned about the fat content of milk. Men were less aware of milk's nutritional benefits and as a result were less appreciative of its value., Conclusions: There is an opportunity to develop public health initiatives to address the barriers to drinking milk. Industry-health alliances may be an effective means to provide positive nutrition messages about milk and to engage the support of health professionals.