Background

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), osteoporosis is a bone disease that develops when bone mineral density and bone mass decrease or when the structure and strength of bone change.

Objectives

To assess the prevalence of patients at risk for future osteoporotic fractures among adults in Saudi Arabia and to identify the most common risk factors for osteoporotic fractures in the Saudi population.

Material and methods

The present study was of an observational, analytical type with a cross-sectional study design of six-month duration in primary care clinics in Majmaah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. All adults above 40 years old were recruited as study subjects. A convenience sampling technique was used for recruitment of the study participants. Data collection was done by trained medical students based on a study questionnaire and FRAX score. The expected sample size was 377. The collected data was retrieved in an MS-Excel file and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics (version 24). A p-value of < 0.05 was considered to be significant.

Results

The mean age of the study population was 48.2 years, with a median age of 45.0 years. The majority of the smokers were males (92.2%) and the majority of non-smokers were females (60.2%). After adjustment, 21.1% of glucocorticoid users reported a history of fractures; however, no statistically significant results. On the other hand, thyroid hyperactivity showed a borderline significant association with fracture risk (p = 0.05). Males in the study population were more likely to have a history of fractures compared to females. Menopausal status demonstrated a non-significant association with osteoporotic fracture risk (p = 0.07).

Conclusions

In relation to the risk of osteoporotic fractures, this study stresses the complex interactions between gender, BMI, lifestyle factors, and certain medical diseases. To accurately predict and prevent osteoporotic fractures in this population, individual risk assessments may be necessary. A complete evaluation of fracture risk in this population should consider a number of factors in addition to gender and BMI. To help direct fracture prevention strategies, further research into these correlations and the identification of additional risk factors may be necessary.