Table 2.

Characteristics of included studies

First author (year), reference	Aim	Method	Sample	Recruitment setting	Country of origin
Besser (2012), [15]	To explore how patients with osteoporosis perceive their illness and treatment in order to investigate adherence and how to improve it.	Semi-structured interviews	n = 14 10 with osteoporosis, 4 with osteopenia. All female, mean age 69.	Secondary care—osteoporosis screening unit and rheumatology clinic.	UK
French (2005), [16]	To identify barriers to following calcium recommendations in women with a reduced bone mineral density.	Focus groups	n = 30 13 diagnosed osteopenia, 17 diagnosed osteoporosis. All female, age 52–87 years.	Previous osteoporosis treatment programme at a tertiary referral centre. Participants previously had a consultation with a dietician.	Canada
Hansen (2014), [17]	To investigate women’s experiences of living with osteoporosis during the first 6 months after diagnosis when treatment was first prescribed.	Semi-structured interviews	n = 15 All with recently diagnosed osteoporosis. All female, age 65–79 years.	Secondary care, following recently attending a DXA scan, at 1 of 2 hospitals.	Denmark
Iversen (2011), [18]	To determine factors influencing adherence to osteoporosis medications among older adults.	Focus groups	n = 32 All diagnosed osteoporosis. 30 female, 2 male, age 65–85 years.	Advertisements in a tertiary hospital medical centre newsletter.	USA
Lau (2008), [19]	To explore the experiences and perceptions of postmenopausal women regarding strategies to improve adherence to osteoporosis therapy.	Focus groups	n = 37 All with diagnosed osteoporosis and either 1 prescription medication or over the counter medication for osteoporosis. All female, age 48–88 years.	By 3 family physicians, 1 geriatrician, 1 rheumatologist, and 3 community pharmacists.	Canada
Mazor (2010), [20]	To explore older women’s views about prescription osteoporosis medication use and identify factors that influence these views.	Telephone interview	n = 30 All diagnosed osteoporosis. All female, mean age 73.4 years.	Primary care.	USA
McKenna (2008), [21]	To compare experience of osteoporosis in Caucasian and South Asian women during consultations.	Semi-structured interviews	n = 21 All with osteoporosis, 19 with history of fragility fractures. All female, age 43–82 years.	Support groups, osteoporosis exercise classes, South Asian community centres.	USA
McMillan (2014), [22]	To explore post discharge concerns of older people after a fall-induced hip fracture.	Semi-structured interviews	n = 19 All with previous hip fracture. 15 women, 4 men. Age 67–89 years (mean 79).	Secondary care following recent discharge from hospital following hip fracture.	UK
Meadows (2005), [23]	To explore women’s post fracture experiences to understand how general practitioners could tailor patient education about risk.	Semi-structured interviews	n = 22 All with previous fragility fracture. All women, over 40 years of age.	Orthopaedic trauma surgery database.	Canada
Nielsen (2011), [24]	To understand how men experience having osteoporosis and handle osteoporosis in their everyday lives.	Focus groups	n = 16 All with osteoporosis. All male, age 51–82 years.	Attendees at endocrinology clinic.	Denmark
Nielsen (2010), [25]	To understand the importance of information and knowledge about osteoporosis for participants’ way of handling osteoporosis in their everyday lives.	Semi-structured interviews	n = 26 All with osteoporosis. 20 women, 6 men, age 50–84 years. 14 from UK, 12 from Denmark.	By healthcare professionals in a secondary healthcare environment.	UK, Denmark
Sale (2010), [26]	To examine fracture participant understanding of osteoporosis and osteoporosis care after being screened for, and educated about osteoporosis, in a fracture clinic.	Focus groups	n = 24 All with a previous fragility fracture. 18 women, 6 men, age 47–80 years.	Urban osteoporosis screening fracture clinic.	Canada
Salter (2014), [27]	To describe key perceptions that influence older women’s adherence and persistence with prescribed medication when identified to be at a higher than average risk of fracture.	Semi-structured interview	n = 30 Above average risk of subsequent fracture and recently started preventative osteoporosis medication. All women, age 73–85 years.	Participants of a previous primary care-based randomised controlled trial (SCOOP).	UK
Schiller (2015), [28]	To understand the recovery phase after hip fracture from the patient perspective, and identify specific messages that could be integrated into future educational material for clinical practice to support patients during recovery	Semi-structured interview	n = 19 11 with previous hip fracture (10 women, 1 man), 8 family members or other caregivers.	Newspaper advertisement, emails, previous study participants, community organisations with a history of collaboration, hospital research buildings and websites.	Canada
Solimeo (2011), [29]	To explore the experiences of male osteoporosis patients	Semi-structured interview	n = 23 13 with previous fragility fracture, 17 on osteoporosis medication. All men, age 53–86 years.	By physician in secondary care.	USA
Svensson (2016), [30]	To understand the lived experience of women with an osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture	Semi-structured interview	n = 10 All with vertebral fracture. All women, aged > 65 years.	Secondary care in an outpatient clinic.	Sweden