Osteoporosis and low bone mineral density (osteopenia) in rural and remote Queensland
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To report that prevalence rates of osteoporosis and osteopenia differ according to different levels of remoteness in Queensland, Australia.
DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of bone mineral density scans undertaken between April 2015 and April 2016.
SETTING: Mobile laboratory housing a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in rural and remote Queensland.
PARTICIPANTS: Four-thousand-four-hundred-and-twenty-seven referred individuals 70 years of age or older.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Bone mineral density (g cm-2 ) at two sites was used to measure the level of bone health as per the World Health Organization criteria for osteoporosis.
RESULTS: A slightly higher percentage of women was screened and the percentage screened in both men and women decreased as levels of remoteness increased. Women in outer regional areas had significantly higher odds of having osteopenia over normal bone mineral density, compared to women in an urban setting.
CONCLUSION: As the level of remoteness increased, there was a decrease in the percentage of men and women being screened to determine their risk of osteoporosis. Furthermore, the current data suggest that women in more remote areas have significantly lower bone density, compared to an urban female population. Finally, men and women have similar levels of osteopenia across Queensland, Australia.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Development of a crushable foam model for human trabecular bone
- Data-driven motion compensation in HR-pQCT.
- Modeling of structure, quality, and function in the orthodontic patient
- Exploring the mechanism of Heidihuang Pill in the treatment of osteoporosis based on network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental validation
- Effect of fabric on the accuracy of computed tomography-based finite element analyses of the vertebra
- Use of interventions involving virtual reality tasks during the climacteric: a systematic review
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.