The association between personal-social characteristics with bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with primary osteoporosis

Osteoporosis, affecting over 200 million people globally, is projected to surge by 240% in women by 2050. This cross-sectional study investigated personal-social factors influencing bone mineral density (BMD) in 109 osteoporotic postmenopausal women (mean age 58.1 ± 3.74 years, 9.9 ± 5.2 years post-menopause) selected from 850 participants who randomly selected from all healthcare centers in Tabriz, Iran. Bone mineral density (BMD) was quantified using Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA), accompanied by a validated researcher-developed questionnaire assessing personal-social and obstetrical-medical histories, alongside comprehensive body composition analysis. Statistical analyses (SPSS/24) included Pearson/Spearman correlations, ANOVA, t-tests, and linear regression. Key findings revealed married women had higher femoral neck BMD than singles (p = 0.026), while exposure to smoker roommates correlated with lower lumbar spine BMD (p < 0.001). Number of pregnancies positively associated with femoral neck BMD (p = 0.038). Femoral BMD also showed significant positive correlations with body weight (β = 0.004, p < 0.001), percentage of body fat (β = 0.004, p = 0.014), fat mass (β = 0.005, p = 0.001), visceral fat (β = 0.022, p = 0.001), mineral mass (β = 0.052, p = 0.008), total body water (β = 0.004, p < 0.001), and BMI (β = 0.054, p = 0.007), persisting after adjustment. Among the investigated personal-social factors including age, marital status, education, occupation, income, smoking status, sun exposure, supplementation, gravida, breastfeeding history, physical activity, and history of fractures in close relatives, non-marital status, passive smoking, and nulliparity were determined as risk factors and elevated body composition metrics as protective factors for postmenopausal osteoporosis. Public health strategies should prioritize reducing secondhand smoke exposure and addressing body composition metrics.