title: Quality of Life Is Related to Social Support in Elderly Osteoporosis Patients in a Chinese Population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the association between quality of life and social support in elderly osteoporosis patients in a Chinese population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 214 elderly patients who underwent bone mineral density screening were divided into two groups: elderly patients with primary osteoporosis (case group, n = 112) and normal elderly patients (control group, n = 102). Quality of life and social support were compared between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Quality of life and social support were significantly different between the case and control groups. The physical function, role-physical, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social-functioning, role-emotional and mental health scores in case group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.01). The objective support, subjective support, utilization of support, and total scores in case group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.01). Quality of life and social support were positively correlated in the case group (r = 0.672, P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Quality of life and social support in elderly patients with osteoporosis in China were poorer than in elderly patients without osteoporosis and were positively correlated. Our findings indicate that increased efforts to improve the social support and quality of life in elderly osteoporosis patients are urgently needed in China. Further longitudinal studies should be conducted to provide more clinical evidence to determine causative factors for the observed association between risk factors and outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors.forename: Jieyu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors.forename: Ruojin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors.forename: Yuying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires