title: Bone mineral density in midlife women: the Study of Women's Health in Qatar.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to investigate bone mineral density (BMD) for a large cross-section of midlife Arab women living in Qatar and to evaluate the association of body mass index (BMI), menopause status, and nationality, on BMD of the spine and femur.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted among women aged 40-60 years recruited from nine primary-care health centers in Qatar. BMD (g/m(2)) was assessed at the lumbar spine and the femur.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The combined prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis was 4% at the femur and 16.2% at the spine. BMI and menstrual status were both independently associated with BMD at the spine and at the femur (all p values < 0.001). As BMI increased, BMD increased at both the spine and femur. Women who menstruated in the past 12 months had 0.82 g/cm(2) and 0.61 g/cm(2) greater BMD at the spine and femur, respectively, compared with women who had not menstruated in 12 months. Nationality was not associated with mean BMD of the spine or the femur.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No significant differences were observed between Qatari and non-Qatari women in terms of mean BMD values at the spine and the femur except for the femur in the age group 55-60, where values were lower among non-Qataris (p = 0.04). Multivariable analyses showed that BMI and menstrual status were found to be strongly associated with BMD levels at the spine and femur. The high prevalence of obesity observed in this sample may explain the low levels of osteopenia and osteoporosis observed.
authors.affiliation: Weill Cornell Medical College , New York, New York , USA.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Gerber
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bener
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Al-Ali
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hammoudeh
authors.forename: L Q
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Verjee
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000453:epidemiology; D011780:Qatar / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000208:ethnology; D013131:Spine; D016387:Women's Health
keywords: BODY MASS; BONE MINERAL DENSITY; INDEX; MENOPAUSE; QATAR