Osteoporosis and low bone mineral density (osteopenia) in rural and remote Queensland

Objective: To report that prevalence rates of osteoporosis and osteopenia differ according to different levels of remoteness in Queensland, Australia. Design: Retrospective analysis of bone mineral density scans undertaken between April 2015 and April 2016. Setting: Mobile laboratory housing a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in rural and remote Queensland. Participants: Four-thousand-four-hundred-and-twenty-seven referred individuals 70 years of age or older. Main outcome measures: Bone mineral density (g cm⁻²) at two sites was used to measure the level of bone health as per the World Health Organization criteria for osteoporosis. Results: A slightly higher percentage of women was screened and the percentage screened in both men and women decreased as levels of remoteness increased. Women in outer regional areas had significantly higher odds of having osteopenia over normal bone mineral density, compared to women in an urban setting. Conclusion: As the level of remoteness increased, there was a decrease in the percentage of men and women being screened to determine their risk of osteoporosis. Furthermore, the current data suggest that women in more remote areas have significantly lower bone density, compared to an urban female population. Finally, men and women have similar levels of osteopenia across Queensland, Australia.