Rising numbers of people consuming nutrient poor diets, coupled with aging, sedentary lifestyle and low income, can contribute to a number of chronic diseases. Nutritional intake along with health disparities, further delineated by socio-economic status, can contribute to a higher prevalence of disease among low-income populations. Poverty-stricken populations may lack resources to acquire adequate levels of calcium and vitamin D for the prevention of osteoporosis. This study analyzes the relationship between markers of poverty with calcium and vitamin D intake as well as incidences of osteoporosis in older Americans (≥ 50 years of age).
Osteoporosis is a prevalent and debilitating metabolic bone disease characterized by changes in skeletal structure and reduction in bone mass, leading to increased bone fragility and risk of fracture. Arriving at a diagnosis of osteoporosis is a multifactorial process which includes taking a case history, physical examination, and diagnostic imaging. Common imaging testing consists of a dual-X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan to determine a measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) in the femoral neck and lumbar spine of the patient. In this context, osteoporosis is defined as a T-score equal to or less than − 2.5 standard deviations from the BMD of a healthy 25-year old of the same gender at their peak bone mass. Osteopenia, or low bone mass, is defined as a T-score of between − 1.0 and − 2.5 SD. Incidence of fractures attributed to osteoporosis increase with age and frequently occur in the spine, hip or wrist.
