Height loss and risk factors for osteoporosis among adult women

Abstract

Aims: To estimate height loss and its association with risk factors (RF) for osteoporosis in a group of adult women who attended a nutritional consultation at the Foundation for Research on Endocrine Metabolic Disease and Applied Clinical Research (FIEEM-ICA); Buenos Aires 2005-2007. Methods: Cross-sectional prospective study. Consecutive sample of 315 women aged between 40 and 65 years. Dependent variable: height loss (3 cm and >3 cm) calculated as the difference between patient-reported height and the current measured height. Independent variables: age (>55 years), biological stage (postmenopausal), smoking and sedentary lifestyle (physical activity <3 times per week). Among postmenopausal women: type of menopause (early natural or surgical) and time spent in menopause (5 years and >5 years). Controlled variable: hormone replacement therapy. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 11.5, 95% confidence interval, using different proportions and multivariate logistic regression analysis with p<0.05. Results: 94.4% (CI=91.7-97.2) of the sample lost 3 cm in length. Height loss was 0.570.87 cm among premenopausal women and 1.641.28 cm among postmenopausal women (p=0.000). Univariate analysis showed that age >55 years (p=0.000), the postmenopausal period (p=0.02) and time spent in menopause (p=0.01) were associated with height loss. Multivariate model showed that only age (OR=3.54, CI=1.4-8.8; p=0.007) was an independent predictor of height loss >3 cm. There was no association with other variables. Conclusions: Statistically significant association was observed between height loss and age >55 years and the postmenopausal period with more than 5 years into menopause. Age was independently associated with height loss greater than 3 cm.