title: Determining osteoporosis risk in older Colono adults from rural Amazonian Ecuador using calcaneal ultrasonometry.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Low bone density and osteoporosis prevalence, while well-documented in wealthy nations, are poorly studied in rural, non-clinical contexts in economically developing regions such as Latin America. This study contributes preliminary osteoporosis risk data for a rural Colono (mestizo) population from Amazonian Ecuador.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anthropometrics were collected for 119 adult participants (74 females, 45 males [50-90 years old]). Heel bone density and T-scores were recorded using calcaneal ultrasonometry
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately, 33.6% of the participants had low bone density and were at high-risk for osteoporosis. Four times as many females as males were considered high-risk. Consistent with epidemiological literature, advancing age was significantly associated with lower bone density values (P = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low bone density and osteoporosis prevalence are expected to increase in this and other economically transitioning populations, yet infrastructure to monitor this changing epidemiological landscape is almost non-existent. Human biologists are uniquely positioned to contribute data from remote populations, a critical step toward initiating increased resource allocation for diagnosis and prevention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, Queens College, CUNY, Flushing, New York, 11367.
authors.forename: Felicia C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Madimenos
authors.forename: Melissa A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Liebert
authors.forename: Tara J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Cepon-Robins
authors.forename: J Josh
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Snodgrass
authors.forename: Lawrence S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015519:Bone Density; D002111:Calcaneus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004484:Ecuador / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D012737:Sex Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography