LIFE-STYLE AND DIFFERENT FRACTURE PREVALENCE - A CROSS-SECTIONAL COMPARATIVE POPULATION-BASED STUDY

In order to explain the higher prevalence of fractures in urban compar ed with rural areas, 782 residents in the city of Malmo, Sweden and 48 6 inhabitants from the nearby rural municipality of Sjobo were invited to participate in an sex- and age-matched cross-sectional study on li fe-style differences; 73 and 80% respectively responded. Responders an swered a questionnaire on medical and social background and were inter viewed on past and present physical activity. The men and women of the rural area were found to be significantly more active physically at w ork and during spare time. Housing was larger in the rural area. For w omen, these differences are decreasing in the younger age groups. Bone mass was found to be correlated to heavier work load for men. Other l ife-style variable such as dairy calcium intake, coffee drinking, estr ogen medication, and morbidity, could not explain this difference. Hig her prevalence of fractures in the city could therefore be explained b y physically less active life-style.