Background: Osteoporosis is a major public health issue in several countries worldwide because it increases healthcare costs, and is a risk for mortality. There have been several studies that have examined BMD among the various Thai people and the regions that they inhabit. Objective: This study examined the distal forearm Bone Mineral Density (BMD) in men and women over 40 years of age among members of various Karen hill-tribes located in the Omkoi District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. Methods: Two hundred and sixty-two subjects (180 women, 82 men), ranging from 40 to 83 years old were recruited in this study. The non-dominant distal forearm bone mineral density was assessed by using peripheral dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (pDEXA). Results: The results showed that the BMD were 0.530 ± 0.065, 0.508 ± 0.087, 0.461 ± 0.098, and 0.438 ± 0.124 g/cm2 for men age 40-49 years, age 50-59 years, age 60-69 years, and ages 70-83 years, respectively. For women, the BMD were 0.392 ± 0.051, 0.337 ± 0.063, 0.232 ± 0.065, and 0.212 ± 0.069 g/cm2 among women age 40-49 years, age 50-59 years, age 60-69 years, and ages 70-83 years, respectively. BMD had decreased in post-menopause as a function of duration time after menopause. Conclusion: We determined the prevalence of osteoporosis of men and women of Karen hill-tribes in the Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. These findings provided important information regarding bone health in Karen hill-tribes for any healthcare planning done in the immediate future.

Background: Osteoporosis is a common health problem worldwide and has a high impact on quality of life and economic losses. However, having an early risk assessment can resolve the problem. Objective: To investigate the prevalence of bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis in the distal forearm among Thai women in Mae Chaem District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. Methods: The subjects were 456 women, aged between 24-88 years who inhabit Mae Chaem District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. The demographic characteristics data was obtained by using self-administered questionnaires that determine common risk factors for osteoporosis. The BMD of the non-dominant distal forearm of all subjects was determined according to standard protocol by use of peripheral dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (pDEXA) scanning. Results: The BMD decreased as a function of age (Pearson's r = -0.645) while the BMD increased as a function of weight (Pearson's r = 0.389), and height (Pearson's r = 0.267). The percentage of prevalence is increased as a function of age-group in osteoporosis group, while it is decreased in that of normal bone density. In addition, the BMD at distal forearm decreased when the duration of menopause increased (Pearson's r = -0.455) Conclusion: The prevalence of osteoporosis was found in the women who reside in Mae Chaem District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. The current study will provide the information to guide the strategies for preventing osteoporosis in the population.