[Prevalence of certain osteoporosis-determining habits among post menopausal women in the Basque Country, Spain, in 2003].
BACKGROUND
[corrected] On planning health promotion strategies for a disease or condition, one must know the current situation of the factors which have a bearing thereon. This study is aimed at analyzing, in the Basque Country, those living habits which interact to control the maximum bone density peak in postmenopausal women.


METHODS
This study was conducted in February-May 2003 on a sample of 555 women over 45 years of age selected at random in the Basque Country. A total of 82.8% thereof answered a living habit survey and a three-day recall diet survey. A descriptive core trend study was made for quantitative variable and frequencies for qualitative variables. A comparison was drawn between the prevalence among groups selected by way of the chi-square test and Student's t-test.


RESULTS
A total of 27.4% of the women studied were over 65 years of age (average age 58.51). Forty percent (40%) of the women were actively involved in physical exercise. A total of 4.1% of the women had sun exposure occasionally or exceptionally. The average calcium intake was 788.17 mg/day (SD=218.35). A total 0.3% had risk-level alcohol consumption and 14.7% moderate consumption. In relation to smoking, 12.6% of the women in the sample smoked less than a pack a day, and 3.5% more than one pack a day.


CONCLUSIONS
The women studied showed as risk factors for having osteoporosis: a low level of active exercise, low calcium intake and in those women younger that 65 years of age and high degree of smoking.
Arana-Arri
Eunate
E
Servicio de Urgencias Generales, Hospital de Cruces, Barakaldo. eunatea@telefonica.net
Gutiérrez-Ibarluzea
Iñaki
I
Ecenarro Mugaguren
Amaia
A
Asua Batarrita
José
J
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003625:Data Collection; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004034:Diet Surveys; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015995:Prevalence; D011322:Primary Prevention; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
D002136:Calcium, Dietary