title: Is grand multiparity a risk factor for osteoporosis in postmenopausal women of lower socioeconomic status?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to determine whether grand multiparity is a risk factor for osteoporosis among postmenopausal women of lower socioeconomic status.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a single center study between February 2012 and February 2013 on 50-60 year old postmenopausal women of lower socioeconomic status without a history of medical disease. Women with a body mass index (BMI) between 20 and 25 were included in the study. The grand multiparous group (group A) consisted of 38 women with 10 or more deliveries. Women with a history of three or fewer deliveries composed the control group (group B). Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry was used to measure the bone mineral density (BMD) of the proximal femur neck and lumbar spine (L1-L4).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean ages of groups A and B were found to be 54.3 ± 2.5 and 53.1 ± 2.7 years, respectively. Average parity in groups A and B was 11.1 ± 1.7 and 2.4 ± 0.7, respectively. Time since the onset of menopause was 3.6 ± 2.7 years in group A and 6.0 ± 2.9 in group B. The prevalence of osteoporosis was similar in both groups (71.1%-81.4%, p = 0.273). We found that grand multiparity was an ineffective indicator of either femoral or lumbar osteoporosis (p = 0.87 and p = 0.26), but osteoporosis five years after the onset of menopause was found to be significantly higher (p = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The duration of menopause is an independent risk factor of osteoporosis. However, the number of pregnancies is neither a determinant nor a protective factor for osteoporosis in postmenopausal women coming from a low socioeconomic background.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine Hospital, Denizli, Turkey. dromerdemirtas2@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ö
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Demirtaş
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Demirtaş
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Hurşitoğlu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Terzi
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Şekerci
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ök
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010298:Parity; D017698:Postmenopause; D011247:Pregnancy; D011859:Radiography; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class