Adiposity reduce prevalence of osteoporosis in Chinese rural population: the Henan Rural Cohort Study

Background: Adiposity plays a crucial role in the risk of osteoporosis. However, the impact of body fat distribution on the skeleton is contentious. The study was designed to explore the association of various adiposity indices on bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis based on body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (BFP),waist circumference (WC), waist to hip ratio (WHR), waist to height ratio (WHtR), and visceral fat index (VFI).Methods: A total of 8475 subjects derived from the Henan Rural Cohort Study were analyzed. The BMD of study participants were measured by calcaneal quantitative ultrasound (QUS). Linear and binary logistic regression was performed to estimate the association of adiposity and the outcomes.Results: The crude and age-standardized prevalence of osteoporosis was 20.15% and 14.39%. Per unit increment in adiposity indices was associated with 0.008-0.014g/cm2 increase in BMD. The adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of osteoporosis for per 1 SD increase in WC, WHR, WHtR, BMI, BFP, and VFI were 0.756 (0.713-0.801), 0.774 (0.728-0.822), 0.763 (0.720-0.809), 0.746 (0.703-0.792), 0.794 (0.729-0.865), and 0.735 (0.688-0.786), respectively. Stratified analyses indicated greater effects on individuals aged 55 years or more.Conclusions: The adiposity indices have an inverse association with the risk of osteoporosis among Chinese rural population, especially in the elderly. Keywords: Adiposity; Bone mineral density; Osteoporosis; Rural population