Publication year: 2011
Source: Social Science & Medicine, In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available online 21 July 2011
Charlotte Ingrid, Salter , Amanda, Howe , Lisa, McDaid , Jeanette, Blacklock , Elizabeth, Lenaghan , …
This article explores the illness experience associated with being diagnosed at risk of a long term chronic condition and discusses the implications of an emergent form of predictive medicine. We report on findings from a study involving 30 older women between the ages of 73 – 85 years of age recently screened for osteoporosis and informed that they are at a higher than average risk of breaking a bone in the next 10 years, but not formally diagnosed with osteoporosis. Data were gathered by the Adherence to Osteoporosis Medicine (ATOM) study using in-depth interviews with women in their own homes…
Highlights: ► We explore the illness experience of being at risk of osteoporosis fracture. ► A significant illness experience is associated with fracture risk diagnosis. ► Participants do not always biographically anticipate the risk of illness experience. ► Screening for fracture risk can be viewed as an emergent form of predictive medicine. ► Fracture risk screening contributes to biomedicalisation of ageing and bone health.