A simple system to determine who needs osteoporosis screening.
OBJECTIVE
To define factors that identify patients at highest risk for osteoporosis who should be screened.


METHODS
We gave a questionnaire we developed for osteoporosis risk factors to 1346 menopausal women who were being screened by bone densitometry at the spine, hip, and femoral neck. Chi-square analysis using the one-tailed test was done on all categoric variables to determine differences or patterns in bone mineral density at specific sites. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was done on each of the three sites scanned to determine which combination of independent variables was a significant predictor of the presence or absence of osteoporosis.


RESULTS
Factors identified that were significant for the presence of osteoporosis were age 61 years or older, weight 165 pounds or less, or lack of any use of estrogen, either oral contraceptives or estrogen replacement therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
We devised a simple system to identify which patients should be screened for osteoporosis.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and School of Nursing, Medical College of Ohio, Toledo, USA.
L
L
Weinstein
B
B
Ullery
C
C
Bourguignon
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012306:Risk