Determining osteoporosis risk in older Colono adults from rural Amazonian Ecuador using calcaneal ultrasonometry. Issue 1 (20th September 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Madimenos, Felicia C.; Liebert, Melissa A.; Cepon‐Robins, Tara J.; Snodgrass, J. Josh; Sugiyama, Lawrence S.
• Is Part Of: American journal of human biology. Volume 27:Issue 1(2015:Jan./Feb.)
• Page Start: 139
• Page End: 142
• Publication Date: 2014-09-20
• Subjects: Human biology -- Periodicals; Physical anthropology -- Periodicals; Biologie humaine -- Périodiques; Anthropologie physique -- Périodiques; 612
• DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22626
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1042-0533

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="ajhb22626-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Objective</title> <p>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 <italic>Colono</italic> (mestizo) population from Amazonian Ecuador.</p> </sec> <sec id="ajhb22626-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Anthropometrics were collected for 119 adult participants (74 females, 45 males [50–90 years old]). Heel bone density and <italic>T</italic>‐scores were recorded using calcaneal ultrasonometry</p> </sec> <sec id="ajhb22626-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>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 (<italic>P =</italic> 0.001).</p> </sec> <sec id="ajhb22626-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>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. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 27:139–142, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.</p> </sec> </abstract>