Factors Related to Bone-density among Post-menopause Women

폐경여성의 골밀도 예측요인

Purpose: This study is to find the significant symptoms related to bone density, from which a cost-effective nursing diagnosis and intervention can be derived. Method: The research sample was 102 women, the sampling was designed by the researcher's convenience, and the subjects of the sample voluntarily participated in a questionnaire survey and measurements. The questionnaire asked socio-demographics, women' reproductive health symptoms, and the life style of the subject. Osteometer DTX-200 for bone density measure and a ruler for measuring spinal curvature were used. All the data were collected at the two public health clinics in a city in Korea. Result: The subjects' current and completed menopause ages, duration of menopause, degree of spinal curvature, BMI, frequency of parity and etc. showed significant correlations with bone density. However, only the degree of spinal curvature(p<.001, r=-.22) was found to be meaningful as a predicted factor for self diagnosis of bone density level. Conclusions: Since most of the subjects have not recognized the relationships between changes in spinal curvature and lowered bone densities, nurse needs to educate clients to get medical assistance to prevent from further bone density reduction by earlier finding of spinal curvature.