title: Influence of parity on bone mineral density and peripheral fracture risk in Moroccan postmenopausal women.
abstract: The aims of the study were to determine: (1) the relationship between parity and bone mineral density (BMD); (2) the relationship between parity and osteoporotic peripheral fractures.
  
  
  METHODS
  The group studied included 730 postmenopausal women. Patients were separated into four groups according to the number of fullterm pregnancies, group 1: nulliparae, group 2: one to three pregnancies, group 3: four to five pregnancies, and group 4: six and more pregnancies. Additionally, patients were separated into three groups according to their ages, as <50 years, 50-59 years and >or=60 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median parity was 4 [0-20]. All the patients with parity greater than six had spine and hip BMD values significantly lower than values in the other groups (p<0.001). After adjustment for age and body mass index (BMI), decreased lumbar and total hip BMD were still associated to increased parity (analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), p=0.04 and 0.023, respectively). The relation between parity and lumbar BMD was highly significant among women aged <50 years (age-adjusted p=0.022), while there was no parity-spine BMD association in the other age groups. The relation between parity and hip BMD was seen only in the group 50-59 years (age-adjusted p=0.042). A positive history for peripheral fractures was present in 170 (23%) patients. There was relationship between parity and peripheral fractures neither in the whole population nor in the sub-groups according to age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study suggests that the BMD of the spine and hip decreases with an increasing number of pregnancies, and this situation shows variations in different age groups. However, there was no correlation between parity level and peripheral fractures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, El Ayachi University Hospital, Sale, Morocco. fadouaallali@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Fadoua
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Allali
authors.forename: Houda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maaroufi
authors.forename: Siham El
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Aichaoui
authors.forename: Hamza
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khazani
authors.forename: Bouchra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Saoud
authors.forename: Boubker
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Benyahya
authors.forename: Redouane
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abouqal
authors.forename: Najia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hajjaj-Hassouni
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009018:Morocco; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010298:Parity / Q000502:physiology*; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors