Incidence rate and modifiable risk factors for osteoporosis in Vietnam

Abstract

Osteoporosis is a common pathology and a cause of disability and reduced quality of life invarious developing countries. An urgent issue in this context is the study of risk factors for osteoporosis, especially those that can be modified. We conducted a cross-sectional study in Vietnam. The study was conducted in the city of Vinh and involved 2065 respondents who were randomly selected for the study, of which over 2050 people were examined. The average age of the participants in years was 62.1 ± 10.3 (men) and 59.3 ± 10.1 (women). The age of all examined patients was over 40 years. It was found that among people aged 50 and over, approximately 40% of women and 37% of men suffered from osteoporosis. The rate of osteoporosis increases with advancing age. Underweight people had a higher risk of osteoporosis compared to normal and overweight people. The proportion of osteoporosis in urban areas was higher than in suburban areas. The proportion of osteoporosis in white-collar, housewives, and businessmen was higher than in other professions. The risk of osteoporosis in alcohol abuse and smoking groups was 1.5 to 1.6 times higher than in those who were not drinking or smoking. In individuals with low adherence to preventive control and physical activity recommendations, the risk of osteoporosis was 1.5 times higher than in those who adhered to regular examinations and maintained moderate physical activity. Our study lends support to the hypothesis that some lifestyle and metabolic factors are predictive factors for the development of osteoporosis. Calcium and vitamin D intake, moderate physical activity, pregnancies and breast feeding, use of progestogens, either alone or in addition to estrogens can be considered preventative factors for osteoporosis development.