Prevalence rate of osteoporosis in the mid - aged and elderly in selected parts of China

To understand the distribution of prevalence rate of osteoporosis in the middle - aged and elderly in parts of China. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured and questionnaires were taken for 5593 people aged above 40 years in five administrative areas in China selected by the stratified - multi - steps - cluster sampling method. The total prevalence rate of osteoporosis was 16.1%. The prevalence rate among males was 11.5% and among females was 19.9% (P < 0.01). There were also osteoporosis prevalence differences among cities, age groups, gender groups and areas. The prevention and treatment of osteoporosis are very important for females but also should not be ignored in males.