Healthy bones digital media kit 

EMBARGOED: 11:01AM AEDT, MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2025

About the Know Your Bones Community Risk Report, Fourth Edition 

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• The Know Your Bones Community Risk Report, Fourth Edition, presents insights drawn from
  de-identified, self-reported data from the Know Your Bones online questionnaire.

• This evidence-based assessment asks consumers key questions across four areas known to impact bone health:

1. Medical history – including age, weight, previous fractures, and falls;

2. Underlying medical conditions that may affect bones;

3. Lifestyle risk factors, such as diet, physical activity, smoking/alcohol intake;

4. Use of medications or supplements.

• The current report is based on 126,815 completed assessments (as of September 15, 2025).

• As a translational research initiative, this report highlights important care gaps in the community and identifies opportunities for earlier diagnosis and intervention. With 196,000 fractures occurring each year due to poor bone health in Australia,3 these findings support stronger prevention strategies and timely diagnosis and treatment to help reduce fractures across the at-risk population.

Key report findings 

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• 40 per cent of individuals who reported a minimal trauma fracture (a fracture from a minor bump or fall) had not undergone a bone density test.

• Only 14 per cent of those with a minimal trauma fracture were taking osteoporosis medication, indicating low treatment rates even after a fracture.

• 35 per cent of all respondents reported at least one clinical risk factor for poor bone health, and within this group, 30 per cent had two or more risk factors.

• Nearly half (49.7 per cent) of all reported minimal trauma fractures occurred in adults aged 50-69 years, highlighting a need for earlier intervention in this age group.

• Common fracture sites accounting for 87 per cent of all minimal trauma fractures reported (in order) included the foot, wrist, ankle, forearm, ribs, spine, and lower leg.

• A significant 98 per cent of individuals had at least one lifestyle risk factor for osteoporosis, such as low calcium intake, physical inactivity, or smoking.

• Improvements since previous report in treatment of adults with reported hip and spine fractures.   

Younger adults (under 50 years of age)

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• 19 per cent of Know Your Bones users were under the age of 50.

• While osteoporosis is more common in older adults, poor bone health in younger people is often linked to specific medical or hormonal risk factors, including early menopause, low testosterone, coeliac disease, anorexia nervosa, certain breast cancer treatments, and long-term use of corticosteroids.

Older adults (70+ years)

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• Although bone density testing is freely available for Australians aged 70 and over, 28 per cent of respondents in this age group reported never having had a bone density test.

• More concerningly, 77 per cent of older adults who had experienced a minimal trauma fracture said they were not taking osteoporosis medication, despite the high risk of future fractures in this group.

Identified opportunities to close care gaps

• Key opportunities to improve bone health and reduce fracture risk include:

  • Routine bone health assessments for people in high-risk groups and early diagnosis when poor bone health is identified;

  • Improving treatment rates for diagnosed osteoporosis and following fractures; and

  • Encouraging healthy lifestyle changes, such as regular targeted exercise, increasing calcium intake, and maintaining adequate vitamin D levels to support healthy bones.