Osteoporosis, Are You at Risk?

Manitoba Project

I am one of 40,000 Manitoba women chosen randomly for a project study called MOMM. In this case, the MOMM stands for "Maximizing Osteoporosis Management in Manitoba" and not for "Mothers Opposed to Mistreatment of Minors, Inc." Out of the 40,000 women who are being contacted, 6,000 will be singled out who are at high risk for osteoporosis. They will then take part in a three year-study designed
1. to determine the number of women in Manitoba at increased risk of serious fracture and to look at the kind of care they receive
2. to develop ways to improve diagnosis and treatment of women at risk of serious fracture.

The Criteria for High Risk

Filling out the application form for the study was an interesting study in itself. The type of questions in the form give a pretty good idea of what, in the eyes of the organisers, determines high or low risk for osteoporosis. Here are the type of questions (paraphrased) which are being asked to determine the risk factors. All of them have multiple choice answers..
1. Describe your overall health.
2. How much time do you spend daily on your feet or walking?
3. What is your current range of flexibility and muscle strength?
4. Describe your current eye sight?
5. How much coffee, tea, or cola do you drink daily?
6. What is your highest level of physical activity in a week?
7. Your current height and weight.
8. Your height and weight at age 25?
9. Have any of your relatives ever had a hip, spine, or wrist fracture after age 50?
10. How many spine, hip, or wrist fractures have you experienced since your 50th birthday?
11. Has a doctor or nurse ever told you that you have or had osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, an eating disorder, or hyperthyroidism?
12. At what age did you start menstruating?
13. How regular were your periods?
14. Do you take pills to prevent epileptic seizures or convulsions?
15. Have you taken a steroid medication for longer than 3 months?
16. Do you use pills to get to sleep or relieve anxiety?

Determine Your Own Risk

After filling out the questionnaire, I became convinced that I am most likely not one of the women at high risk. It is not difficult to surmise what the researchers are looking for. You also should be able to judge your own risk by answering these questions for yourself. As I find out more about the project, I will update this article.

How about Prevention?

I have one serious criticism of this project. There is no mention of prevention. Would it not be more beneficial to study how to prevent osteoporosis than to improve diagnosis and treatment?