Poor agreement between self-reported diagnosis and bone mineral density results in the identification of osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a major health concern, estimated to affect millions worldwide. Bone mineral density (BMD) assessment is not practical for many large-scale epidemiological studies resulting in the reliance of self-report methods to ascertain diagnostic information. The aim of the study was to assess the validity of self-reported diagnosis of osteoporosis in a population-based study. This study examined data collected from 906 men and 843 women participating in the Geelong Osteoporosis Study. Osteoporosis was self-reported and compared against results of BMD scans of the hip and spine. Validity was examined by calculating sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and kappa statistic. Osteoporosis was self-reported by 118 (6.7%) participants and identified using BMD results for 64 (3.7%) participants. Specificity and negative predictive value were good (95.1% and 96.0%, respectively), whereas sensitivity and positive predictive value were poor (35.9% and 31.4%, respectively). The overall level of agreement (kappa) was 0.29. The results changed only slightly when we included participants with osteopenia and adult fracture as osteoporotic. Reliance on self-report methods to ascertain osteoporosis status is not recommended.

Life satisfaction and bone mineral density among postmenopausal women: cross-sectional and longitudinal associations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether and how global life satisfaction is associated with bone mineral density (BMD) and bone loss.

Is there an interaction between socioeconomic status and FRAX 10-year fracture probability determined with and without bone density measures? Data from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study of female cohort.

FRAX(©) evaluates 10-year fracture probabilities and can be calculated with and without bone mineral density (BMD). Low socioeconomic status (SES) may affect BMD, and is associated with increased fracture risk. Clinical risk factors differ by SES; however, it is unknown whether aninteraction exists between SES and FRAX determined with and without the BMD. From the Geelong Osteoporosis Study, we drew 819 females aged ≥50 years. Clinical data were collected during 1993-1997. SES was determined by cross-referencing residential addresses with Australian Bureau of Statistics census data and categorized in quintiles. BMD was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry at the same time as other clinical data were collected. Ten-year fracture probabilities were calculated using FRAX (Australia). Using multivariable regression analyses, we examined whether interactions existed between SES and 10-year probability for hip and any major osteoporotic fracture (MOF) defined by use of FRAX with and without BMD. We observed a trend for a SES * FRAX(no-BMD) interaction term for 10-year hip fracture probability (p = 0.09); however, not for MOF (p = 0.42). In women without prior fracture (n = 518), we observed a significant SES * FRAX(no-BMD) interaction term for hip fracture (p = 0.03) and MOF (p = 0.04). SES does not appear to have an interaction with 10-year fracture probabilities determined by FRAX with and without BMD in women with previous fracture; however, it does appear to exist for those without previous fracture.

The association between critical illness and changes in bone turnover in adults: a systematic review

Critical illness may lead to altered bone turnover and associated adverse health outcomes. This systematic review found moderate evidence for a positive association between critical illness and increased bone turnover. Prospective cohort studies that identify the extent and risk factors for critical illness related bone loss are required.

Chemical modulators of lipid abundance and bone development

 My research focussed on the analysing the lipid profile during development. I further studied potential chemicals to modulate lipid abundaces. Furthermore, I explored the effects of SSRIs on bone development.

Objectively measured sedentary behaviour and health and development in children and adolescents: systematic review and meta-analysis

Sedentary behaviour has emerged as a unique determinant of health in adults. Studies in children and adolescents have been less consistent. We reviewed the evidence to determine if the total volume and patterns (i.e. breaks and bouts) of objectively measured sedentary behaviour were associated with adverse health outcomes in young people, independent of moderate-intensity to vigorous-intensity physical activity. Four electronic databases (EMBASE MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, PubMed and Scopus) were searched (up to 12 November 2015) to retrieve studies among 2- to 18-year-olds, which used cross-sectional, longitudinal or experimental designs, and examined associations with health outcomes (adiposity, cardio-metabolic, fitness, respiratory, bone/musculoskeletal, psychosocial, cognition/academic achievement, gross motor development and other outcomes). Based on 88 eligible observational studies, level of evidence grading and quantitative meta-analyses indicated that there is limited available evidence that the total volume or patterns of sedentary behaviour are associated with health in children and adolescents when accounting for moderate-intensity to vigorous-intensity physical activity or focusing on studies with low risk of bias. Quality evidence from studies with robust designs and methods, objective measures of sitting, examining associations for various health outcomes, is needed to better understand if the overall volume or patterns of sedentary behaviour are independent determinants of health in children and adolescents.