Osteoporosis is a growing public health problem as a consequence of its associated fractures, especially of the proximal femur. Although the focus in the past has been on the problem of osteoporosis in white women, there is increasing recognition that osteoporotic fractures also pose a threat to other populations. In 1995, for example, 6.5% of the total cost of osteoporotic fractures in this country, $901 million, was due to fractures in non-whites (1). The goal of this proposal is to assess the skeletal status of Hispanic Olmsted County residents in order to help design prevention programs should osteoporosis prove to be common in this population.
The specific aims are as follows: To provide health education on osteoporosis and on possible preventive measures such as dietary calcium, hormone replacement therapy, and exercise; To determine bone mineral density (BMD) levels among the Hispanic men and women residing in Olmsted County and to compare these with the distribution of bone density among white residents of the County; To examine the association between bone density and life-style and, for the women, reproductive factors; On the basis of these data, to recommend strategies to prevent osteoporosis among the Hispanic population; and in follow-up at two-year intervals for 4 years, to inquire what lifestyle changes have been made and to assess changes in BMD of the hip and spine.
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