title: Lifestyle and Genetic Predictors of Stiffness Index in Community-dwelling Elderly Korean Men and Women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Differing lifestyle, nutritional, and genetic factors may lead to a differing stiffness index (SI) determined by quantitative ultrasound in elderly men and women. The purpose of this study was to determine SI and the gender-specific factors associated with low SI in a Korean elderly cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional descriptive study identifying the gender-specific factors related to SI in 252 men and women aged 65 years and greater from local senior centers in Seoul, Korea between January and February 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean SI of elderly men was significantly higher than that of the women's. A multiple regression analysis reveals that age, nutritional status, and physical activity were predictive factors of lower SI in men, whereas age, alcohol consumption, educational level, and genetic polymorphism were predictive factors for elderly women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low SI was common in both elderly men and women. We found gender differences in factors linked to low SI. In multiple regression analysis, nutritional status and physical activity were more important factors in men, whereas alcohol consumption, educational level, and genetic polymorphism were significant factors predicting low SI in women. Gender-specific modifiable risk factors associated with low SI should be considered when developing osteoporosis prevention programs for the elderly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hotel Culinary Arts and Nutrition, Kaya University, Kyungnam, South Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung-Ae
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing & The Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Yeon-Hwan
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Inha University, Incheon, South Korea.
authors.forename: Min-Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing & The Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: smi@snu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Smi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Choi-Kwon
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D002111:Calcaneus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D066106:Seoul / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: aged; bone density; gender; genetic polymorphisms; motor activity