Sports participation and fracture in older Australian men.

Unlabelled: Older men who participated in a sporting activity were less likely to sustain any fracture or major osteoporotic fracture over a 6-year follow-up period.

Purpose: Regular weight-bearing physical activity can reduce fracture risk through an increase in bone strength, as well as reducing falls risk by improving muscle strength and balance. In this study, we aimed to determine whether a specific type of physical activity, sports participation, reduces fracture risk in older Australian men.

Poor quality of life in Australian men: Cross-sectional associations with obesity, mobility, lifestyle and psychiatric symptoms.

Objectives: Despite their public health importance, little is known about associations between modifiable lifestyles, quality of life (QOL), and psychiatric symptoms in men. We investigated relationships between QOL, obesity, mobility and lifestyle in Australian men, including whether associations were mediated by anxiety and depression.

Study Design: A cross-sectional study of 893 men (aged 24-92 yrs) participating in the Geelong Osteoporosis Study: an age-stratified, population-based sample of men randomly recruited from the Barwon Statistical Division (BSD), in south-eastern Australia.

Translating Osteoporosis Prevention Guidelines.

Objective: In Australia, the social gradient of chronic disease has never been as prominent as in current times, and the uptake of preventive health messages appears to be lower in discrete population groups. In efforts to re-frame health promotion from addressing behavior change to empowerment, we engaged community groups in disadvantaged neighborhoods to translate published preventive guidelines into easy-to-understand messages for the general population.

Method: Our research team established partnerships with older aged community groups located in disadvantaged neighborhoods, determined by cross-referencing addresses with the Australian Bureau of Statistics, to translate guidelines regarding osteoporosis prevention.

Small area-level socioeconomic status and all-cause mortality within 10 years in a population-based cohort of women: Data from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study.

Background: The social gradient of health and mortality is well-documented. However, data are scarce regarding whether differences in mortality are observed across socio-economic status (SES) measured at the small area-level. We investigated associations between area-level SES and all-cause mortality in Australian women aged ≥ 20 years.

The Epidemiology of Incident Fracture from Cradle to Senescence.

To reduce the burden of fracture, not only does bone fragility need to be addressed, but also injury prevention. Thus, fracture epidemiology irrespective of degree of trauma is informative. We aimed to determine age-and-sex-specific fracture incidence rates for the Barwon Statistical Division, Australia, 2006-2007.

Humeral Fractures in South-Eastern Australia: Epidemiology and Risk Factors.

In this study, we report the epidemiology and risk factors for humeral fractures (proximal humerus and shaft) among men and women residing in south-eastern Australia. Incident fractures during 2006 and 2007 were identified using X-ray reports (Geelong Osteoporosis Study Fracture Grid). Risk factors were identified using data from case-control studies conducted as part of the Geelong Osteoporosis Study.

Carpal and scaphoid fracture incidence in south-eastern Australia: an epidemiologic study.

Unlabelled: Carpal fractures were identified by the Geelong Osteoporosis Study Fracture Grid for 2006-2007. Incidence rates were higher in males than females. Males had a lower median age of fracture than females.

Psychiatric disorders, psychotropic medication use and falls among women: an observational study.

Background: Psychotropic agents known to cause sedation are associated with an increased risk of falls, but the role of psychiatric illness as an independent risk factor for falls is not clear. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the association between psychiatric disorders, psychotropic medication use and falls risk.

Methods: This study examined data collected from 1062 women aged 20-93 yr (median 50 yr) participating in the Geelong Osteoporosis Study, a large, ongoing, population-based study.

Knowledge change regarding osteoporosis prevention: translating recommended guidelines into user-friendly messages within a community forum.

Background: Osteoporosis is a skeletal disorder characterised by low bone mineral density and increased fracture risk. Nationally the total costs of this chronic disease are currently estimated at $2.754 billion annually.

Age- and sex-related patterns of first fracture and fracture prevalence.

There are few data documenting the pattern of prevalent fracture across the entire adult age range, so we aimed to address this gap by investigating the prevalence of fractures in an Australian cohort. All-cause (ever) fractures were identified for males and females enrolled in the Geelong Osteoporosis Study (Australia) using a combination of radiology-confirmed and self-reported data. First fractures were used to generate age-related frequencies of individuals who had ever sustained a fracture.

Who are the older Australians referred for a bone density scan? Data from the Barwon region.

Unlabelled: We investigated the reasons for referral of older Australians aged 70 years and older to dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The most common clinical indication was being aged 70 years and older, followed by monitoring for fracture or low bone mineral density (BMD). Compared to males, females were twice as likely to have osteoporotic BMD.

Body mass index and measures of body fat for defining obesity and underweight: a cross-sectional, population-based study.

Background: The body mass index (BMI) is commonly used as a surrogate marker for adiposity. However, the BMI indicates weight-for-height without considering differences in body composition and the contribution of body fat to overall body weight. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to identify sex-and-age-specific values for percentage body fat (%BF), measured using whole body dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), that correspond to BMI 18.