title: Standardising the descriptive epidemiology of osteoporosis: recommendations from the Epidemiology and Quality of Life Working Group of IOF.
abstract: The Committee of Scientific Advisors of International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) recommends that papers describing the descriptive epidemiology of osteoporosis using bone mineral density (BMD) at the femoral neck include T-scores derived from an international reference standard.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of osteoporosis as defined by the T-score is inconsistently reported in the literature which makes comparisons between studies problematic.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Epidemiology and Quality of Life Working Group of IOF convened to make its recommendations and endorsement sought thereafter from the Committee of Scientific Advisors of IOF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Committee of Scientific Advisors of IOF recommends that papers describing the descriptive epidemiology of osteoporosis using BMD at the femoral neck include T-scores derived from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III reference database for femoral neck measurements in Caucasian women aged 20-29 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is expected that the use of the reference standard will help resolve difficulties in the comparison of results between studies and the comparative assessment of new technologies.
authors.affiliation: WHO Collaborating Centre for Metabolic Bone Diseases, University of Sheffield Medical School, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield, S10 2RX, UK, w.j.pontefract@sheffield.ac.uk.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kanis
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Cummings
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diaz-Curiel
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiligsmann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papaioannou
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Pierroz
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Silverman
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Szulc
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000328:Adult; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005272:Femur Neck / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012016:Reference Values; D055815:Young Adult