Risk factors associated with postmenopausal osteoporosis: Case studies of the Vicente Corral and José Carrasco Hospitals

The purpose of the study presented herein is the assessment of the statistical relation between postmenopausal osteoporosis (PO) and the following risk factors: low body mass index (BMI), low calcium diet, delayed menarche, early menopause, sedentary lifestyle and socioeconomic status. The research involved the screening of 112 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and 112 control patients, aged 50 to 65, patients belonging respectively to the Hospitals Vicente Corral and José Carrasco, in Cuenca, Ecuador. A questionnaire addressing calcium-intake, socio-demographic, reproductive and lifestyle-related risk factors was employed previously to bone mineral density and other physical measurements using validated instruments. In addition to the calculation of the mean, standard deviation and percentage of occurrence of the dependent and independent variables, the logistic regression analysis was applied to obtain the odds ratio of prevalence (OR) with a confidence interval (CI) of 95%. Of the examined pop ulation 96% consume less than 1000 mg of calcium per day and the mean daily calcium intake varies around 597,8 mg. In both groups 17,4% of the women belong to the socioeconomic status (SES) of poverty, and 79% are sedentary. OP seems to be related with early menopause osteoporosis (OR 4,55 IC95% 2,23-9,31), socioeconomic status (OR 3,56 IC95% 1,64-17,73) and late menarche (OR 5,17 IC95% 1,69-15,81). OP does not seems to be associated with low BMI, low calcium-intake and sedentary lifestyle.