Risk Factors of Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Women in Karbala Governorate–Iraq 2019

Background: Osteoporosis is a major public health problem because it leads to weakness of skeleton, increase risk of fractures particularly of the spine and hip, increases morbidity and mortality which are a huge burden on the health system. Objectives : 1. To evaluate bone mineral density (BMD) of postmenopausal women by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. 2. To explore the association between bone density at lumber spine and investigated risk factors for osteoporosis. Method: A cross sectional study was carried out from February till the end of June 2019. A purposive sample of (350) women who were referred to DEXA unit in Al-Imam Hussain Medical City in Karbala Province/ Iraq. Data were gathered by direct interview with the patients using a special questionnaire prepared for the purpose of the study. Results: The overall prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia was (48.9% and 27.7%) respectively. The factors such as age, residence, educational level, BMI, history of diabetes, physical activity, sun exposure, age at menarche, duration of menopause, parity and duration of breast feeding showed significant association with bone density. Occupational status, history of hypertension, smoking, menopausal age, personal and family history of minimal trauma fracture showing no significant association with bone density. Conclusion: The prevalence of osteoporosis in this study was high. Appropriate educational programs and interventions could help to increase the women's peak bone mass therefore reducing their risk of developing osteoporosis.