Osteoporosis and low BMD in rural and remote QLD.
The Bone Bus is very proud of the work we undertake in regional Australia, particularly given that self-reported prevalence of osteoporosis has been associated with higher death rates. It is impossible to self-report osteoporosis or osteopenia without having been previously diagnosed by a health professional. Therefore, the differences in the incidence of osteoporosis and associated mortality between rural and urban areas might be due to individuals in rural and remote areas having limited access to DEXA and therefore their bone health status remains unknown. Our data, recently published shows that as the level of remoteness increased, there was a decrease in the percentage of men and women being screened to determine their risk of osteoporosis. Furthermore, this suggests that women in more remote areas have significantly lower bone density, compared to an urban female population. Finally, men and women have similar levels of osteopenia across Queensland, Australia. Aust. J. Rural Health (2018) 26, 369–374.