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Factors contributing to skeletal health of postmenopausal Mexican‐American women

Incidence rates of hip fracture are lower in Hispanic (HC) than non‐Hispanic Caucasians (NHC). To investigate factors that may affect skeletal health of Hispanics, we recruited 152 healthy community‐dwelling Mexican‐American Caucasian women into a 4‐year longitudinal study that evaluates bone mass, nutritional status, muscle strength, mobility, falls, and other factors that may contribute to fracture risk. Results from the baseline component of the study are reported herein. Average bone mineral densities (BMD) evaluated by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) in this study group did not differ from BMDs in healthy, NHC women of similar age. Hip axis length (HAL), however, was significantly shorter than that reported for nonosteoporotic NHC. Factors independently associated with greater BMD and BMC at certain skeletal sites were lean body mass, fat mass, acculturation, years of estrogen use, sun exposure, hip adductor strength, grip strength, erythrocyte folate, and serum glucose concentrations. Factors independently associated with lower BMD and BMC at certain skeletal sites were age, parity, and vertebral deformities (all p < 0.05). Thus, the decreased risk of hip fracture in HC compared with NHC does not appear to be due to high bone mass. However, other factors such as HAL and body composition may play a role in maintenance of skeletal integrity.