A new study has uncovered significant racial and ethnic differences in fracture risk among postmenopausal women in the United States. The research, published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, analyzed data from over 160,000 women in the Women’s Health Initiative over nearly 20 years.
White women were found to have the highest overall fracture rates. However, other groups were not far behind. Black, Pacific Islander, Asian, and multiracial women had lower risks of clinical fractures compared to white women. The study also revealed differences within racial groups. For example, among Asian women, those of Indian descent had fracture rates comparable to white women, while Filipina women had much lower rates.
Among Hispanic women, Cubans had the highest fracture incidence, similar to non-Hispanic women. In contrast, women of unspecified Hispanic origin had a 22% lower risk than non-Hispanic women.
Dr. Nicole Wright, the study’s lead author, emphasized the importance of these findings given recent demographic changes in the U.S. “Fracture prevention should be an emphasis in American Indian and Alaskan Native, Asian Indian, and Cuban women who are at higher risk,” she advised.
The researchers hope these results will inform future studies on the causes of racial and ethnic fracture risk differences. Such research could lead to interventions aimed at reducing disparities in osteoporosis management and fracture outcomes across diverse populations.
See “Racial, Ethnic Differences in Fracture Risk for Postmenopausal Women Revealed” (August 15, 2024)