A study on prevalence of risk factors for osteoporosis in Postmenopausal women and the importance of Osteoporosis self- assessment tool (OST) in identifying osteoporotic risk

Osteoporosis is a highly prevalent health issue among postmenopausal women, which can be prevented if identified in the early stages. The use of Osteoporosis Self - assessment Tool (OST) will help in identifying the risk of osteoporosis and hence will allow the patients to seek the best treatment if required. In this study we assessed the prevalence of risk factors for osteoporosis in 400 Postmenopausal women and have measured the osteoporotic risk using OST. The risk factors and risk scores were correlated using spearman’s rho correlation analysis. As per the postmenopausal classification, 52% of the population belonged to the late stage. Average BMI of the population was found to be 19.5 that is borderline of the normal which indicates the risk for Osteoporosis. Attaining early menopause 243(60.75%) and history of fall 223(55.75%) was the most common risk factors found in the population. Using OST, 78 patients were identified with high risk. The correlation between OST and risk factors revealed that OST is positively significant with the progression of menopausal stage. Patient education regarding the use and interpretation of OST will help to identify risk of osteoporosis; this should be implemented within the primary gynecological care units for the better outcome. Keywords: Osteoporosis, postmenopausal women, risk factors, Osteoporosis Self - assessment Tool.