title: Preliminary investigation on prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia: Should we tune our focus on healthy adults?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Osteoporosis and osteopenia are global health problems with increasing trend, particularly in developed regions. Apart from traditional well-recognized high-risk groups (i.e. postmenopausal women and elders), prevalence of such problems among adults should not be ignored because of the advantages of early detection and health promotion. Therefore, this preliminary study aims to investigate the prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia among adult office workers, which represented a relatively large proportion of the population in urbanized cities.
  
  
  METHODS
  An GE-Lunar Achilles ultrasonometer was used to screen the bone mineral density (BMD) of 80 participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The BMD T-score ranged from -3 to 3.5. The majority of the participants had normal BMD result (T-score, ≥ -1), whereas 35% was classified as abnormal (T-score, < -1) including 31.3% osteopenia and 3.8% osteoporosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High prevalence rate of abnormal BMD among healthy adults should be further studied in this population. The findings also suggest that the current ignorance in adulthood may increase the prevalence of osteoporotic fractures in the future.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nursing and Health Studies, School of Science and Technology, The Open University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Cathy Nga Yan
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Nursing and Health Studies, School of Science and Technology, The Open University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Simon Ching
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2982-9192
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.affiliation: Division of Nursing and Health Studies, School of Science and Technology, The Open University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Alan Yat Kwan
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.affiliation: Division of Nursing and Health Studies, School of Science and Technology, The Open University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Bernadette Ting Yan
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Division of Nursing and Health Studies, School of Science and Technology, The Open University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Joyce Chung Yin
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: Freelance Statistician.
authors.forename: Andy Chun Yin
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Chong
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000328:Adult; D015519:Bone Density; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: adults; osteoporosis; prevalence