Using DEXA Technology to Compare Rural and Urban Bone Mass Density of Women

Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is a major imaging technology for measuring Bone Mineral Density (BMD) which in turn is as an important predicting factor for fractures. Previous studies reported a different trend in BMD among rural residents was higher than urban residents. The aim of this study was to compare BMD between rural and urban citizen in Iran. This cross-sectional study was conducted between 2016 and 2017 in Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran. All women between the age of 30 and 85 years old who referred for BMD measurement based on dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) were assessed for sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics other than BMD assessment. Serum vitamin D levels were also measured for each subject. A total of 233 subjects (103 rural and 103 urban women) participated in the study. Rural residents had a significantly higher incidence of smoking (p<0.001) and low education level (p<0.001). The mean T score for spinal BMD was not statistically different between rural and urban groups (-2.33 ± 2.16 and -1.96 ± 1.03 respectively, p= 0.11). There was a significant difference in mean hip BMD T score between rural and urban groups (-3.09±1.06 and -2.63±1.90 respectively, p=0.02).

کلیدواژه ها:

Bone mineral density ، DEXA technology ، image processing ، rural and urban women