Abstract

This study was performed to investigate the relationships among bone mineral densities (BMD), anthropometric data and lifestyle factors in the elderly. Subjects included 138 elderly (male: 38, female: 100) aged over 65 years, who were home-dwelling in a low-income area of Puchon City. The BMDs of the lumbar spines (LS), femoral necks (FN), Ward's triangles (WT) and trochanters (TC) were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. The females showed significantly lower BMDs in four sites (p < 0.0001). The elderly aged over 75 revealed significantly more decreased femoral BMDs than the elderly aged 65 to 74. Female with BMIs of 20 to 25, showed significantly higher BMDs in LS, FN and trochanter than those with BMIs of less than 20. However, males displayed significantly higher BMDs in only LS, with increasing BMIs. THe BMDs of LS correlated with weights (r = 0.543, p < 0.001), heights (r = 0.477, p < 0.001), upper arm circumferences (r = 0.368, p < 0.01), waist circumferences (r = 0.367, p < 0.001), subscapular skinfold thicknesses (r = 0.363, p < 0.001) and hip circumferences (r = 0.231, p < 0.01). Non-smokers and non-drinkers showed significantly higher BMDs in trochanters only in the case of the males. Female milk-drinkers showed significantly elevated LS BMDs. Eighteen percent of the males were assessed as having osteoporosis, as compared to fifty percent of the females. Ninety-three percent of the females and 81.6% of the males responded that they often or always had "difficulty in standing for a long time".

• Keywords: elderly; bone densities; anthropometric data; lifestyles