Risk factors for Osteoporosis in Women Forty Years and Above in Arar City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)

1 Dept of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt 2 Dept of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Border University (NBU), Arar, KSA 3 Dept of rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt Correspondent Author Abdelrahman Abukanna Department of Internal Medicine, Northern Border University Email: amaabukanna63@hotmail.com, Mobile phones: 00966566309632, fax +146620771 Abstract Introduction: Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disease characterized by low bone mass and micro architectural deterioration of bone tissue, with a consequent increase in bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture. A high prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis were reported in Arab countries. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the risk factors for osteoporosis in women aged 40 years and above in Arar city, KSA. Methodology: This is a case control hospital based study done in Arar city, KSA. The study population were 202 female patients divided into osteoporosis patients which included 102 female patients aged 40 years and above and the control group included 100 females from the same age group with negative investigations for osteoporosis, the data were collected using a questionnaire and were analysed using SPSS version 15. Results and Conclusions: Aging, family history, hypertension, endocrine disease, bronchial asthma and cortisone therapy were associated with increased risk of osteoporosis. Education, employment, habits like sun exposure, take-away meals, supplements and minerals, taking foods like eggs and fish, taking oestrogen replacement therapy and regular exercise were found to be protective against osteoporosis.