Osteoporosis: Not Just a Woman's Disease

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Pictured from left to right are Carol Sedlak and Peggy Doheny, two of the three Kent State researchers who have been awarded a $778,000 grant to study the effects of osteoporosis prevention techniques in men. Not pictured is researcher Patricia Estok.

At the mention of osteoporosis (porous bone disease), grandmothers, mothers, wives and sisters come to mind; but, the disease is fast becoming a concern among men. Consequently, the National Institute of Aging, an arm of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded researchers in Kent State’s College of Nursing a $778,000 grant to study the effects of osteoporosis prevention techniques on men.

Osteoporosis, which causes bone loss and often results in fractures, pain and disability, affects more than 44 million U.S. men and women aged 50 and older.

“Men 50 years of age and older have a higher risk of a fracture from osteoporosis than developing prostate cancer,” says Dr. Peggy Doheny, professor of nursing.

In 2002, men with osteoporosis and low bone mass totaled more than 14 million. This figure is expected to increase to more than 20 million by 2020, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

Osteoporosis is debilitating and expensive. Fractures resulting from osteoporosis account for more than $17 billion annually in health care costs.

Prevention of this painful, costly disease is the primary goal of the three-year Kent State study.

Dr. Doheny, Dr. Carol Sedlak, associate professor of nursing, and Dr. Patricia Estok, professor emerita of nursing, will evaluate the effect of dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) screening on osteoporosis preventing behaviors, such as exercise and nutrition, among men ages 50 and older.

The researchers purport that the screening, which measures bone density, will improve participants' knowledge of their bone health and inspire them to engage in osteoporosis prevention behaviors.

Participants must commit to the study for one year and will be eligible for a free DXA scan of the hip and spine. Men aged 50 and older who are in good health and have not had any type of bone density test may be eligible for the study.

For more information, contact Dr. Doheny toll free at 1-866-575-1475, locally at 330-672-8783, or via e-mail at pdoheny@kent.edu.

This study follows the conclusion of another Kent State study, funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research, that utilized DXA scanning and gauged the health beliefs and osteoporosis prevention behaviors in women aged 50 to 65.

DXA scans of the study participants showed that 58 percent had experienced significant bone loss. Personal knowledge of bone density gained from the bone scan increased women's perceived susceptibility to osteoporosis, intake of calcium and the use of medication for osteoporosis.

While the women in the treatment group increased their calcium intake after the DXA scan, calcium intake began to decrease during the six- to 12-month period after the DXA scan. The decrease in calcium intake suggests that "booster" reinforcement is necessary to motivate women to maintain the recommended amount of calcium intake.

Having a DXA scan seems to be an effective intervention in promoting osteoporosis preventing behaviors in younger, postmenopausal women.

More research is needed to understand ways to initiate and maintain health promotion activities that encourage people to increase their bone density.