Quiz Assessing your Risk of Osteoporosis

Assessing Your Risk of Osteoporosis

Answering these ten questions will help you to assess your risk by providing you with a guide to your knowledge of bone health management and the prevention of osteoporosis.

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1. Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones lose strength and break more easily.

	True

Correct Osteoporosis is a condition in which calcium is lost from the bones leading to fragility and possible fractures (broken bones)

	False

Incorrect Osteoporosis is a condition in which calcium is lost from the bones leading to fragility and possible fractures (broken bones).

2. Prevention of osteoporosis should start in childhood.

	True

Correct Prevention of osteoporosis should be a life-long commitment. Healthy bone habits such as ensuring adequate dietary calcium and frequent weight-bearing exercise should start in early childhood. A person’s peak bone density is usually achieved at about 20-30 years of age. The higher the person’s bone density at this stage, the greater protection they will have against osteoporosis later in life.

	False

Incorrect Prevention of osteoporosis should be a life-long commitment. Healthy bone habits such as ensuring adequate dietary calcium and frequent weight-bearing exercise should start in early childhood. A person’s peak bone density is usually achieved at about 20-30 years of age. The higher the person’s bone density at this stage, the greater protection they will have against osteoporosis later in life.

3. Osteoporosis is something that you can feel.

	True

Incorrect In itself, osteoporosis causes no symptoms. It is when fractures occur that the problems of osteoporosis arise. Many people confuse the aches and pains of osteoarthritis, which affects the joints, with osteoporosis. osteoporosis only causes pain when there are fractures.

	False

Correct In itself, osteoporosis causes no symptoms. It is when fractures occur that the problems of osteoporosis arise. Many people confuse the aches and pains of osteoarthritis, which affects the joints, with osteoporosis. osteoporosis only causes pain when there are fractures.

4. Your age and your weight affect your chances of developing osteoporosis.

	True

Correct Osteoporosis is a normal part of ageing. In reality we would all develop osteoporosis if we lived long enough. Women who are very thin tend to have an increased risk of developing osteoporosis. However, it is important to realise that not all thin women will get osteoporosis.

	False

Incorrect Osteoporosis is a normal part of ageing. In reality we would all develop osteoporosis if we lived long enough. Women who are very thin tend to have an increased risk of developing osteoporosis. However, it is important to realise that not all thin women will get osteoporosis.

5. Australian women need not be concerned about vitamin D deficiency.

	True

Incorrect Research has found many people are deficient in vitamin D due to more time being spent indoors. Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones. It helps to increase calcium absorption from the gastrointestinal system and kidney and thereby make it available to body tissues and the blood. It also functions to aide with the deposition of calcium to bone.

	False

Correct Research has found many people are deficient in vitamin D due to more time being spent indoors. Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones. It helps to increase calcium absorption from the gastrointestinal system and kidney and thereby make it available to body tissues and the blood. It also functions to aide with the deposition of calcium to bone.

6. You had an eating disorder when you were in your late teens but now do all the “right things” so you should not have to worry about osteoporosis.

	True

Incorrect Women who develop eating disorders in early adolescence when the skeleton is in the process of growing, severely reduce the attainable peak bone mass that is eventually achieved. This means that after menopause you have less bone to lose. It is still important to do the “right things” such as having adequate dietary calcium and doing regular weight-bearing exercises. You may like to discuss having a bone health assessment with your health professional.

	False

Correct Women who develop eating disorders in early adolescence when the skeleton is in the process of growing, severely reduce the attainable peak bone mass that is eventually achieved. This means that after menopause you have less bone to lose. It is still important to do the “right things” such as having adequate dietary calcium and doing regular weight-bearing exercises. You may like to discuss having a bone health assessment with your health professional.

7. Conditions such as Coeliac disease, Crohn’s disease, or other inflammatory bowel diseases are risk factors for osteoporosis.

	True

Correct There are a number of special conditions, including those that affect the way in which key nutrients such as calcium are absorbed by our bodies.

	False

Incorrect There are a number of special conditions, including those that affect the way in which key nutrients such as calcium are absorbed by our bodies.

8. Once you have osteoporosis, nothing can be done to improve your bones.

	True

Incorrect Ensuring healthy bone habits such as weight bearing exercise and resistance training exercises can not only help your bone density it can also help in the prevention of falls and thus further fractures. Certain medications can halt bone loss or even improve your bone density significantly

	False

Correct Ensuring healthy bone habits such as weight bearing exercise and resistance training exercises can not only help your bone density it can also help in the prevention of falls and thus further fractures. Certain medications can halt bone loss or even improve your bone density significantly

9. Prevention of osteoporosis includes exercises such as swimming and cycling.

	True

Incorrect Exercise is important in the development of peak bone mass, however the best exercises to achieve the highest peak bone mass are weight bearing and resistance training exercises. Weight bearing exercises include any exercise where you are putting a load on your bones for example jumping, walking, skipping, running. Swimming and cycling, while good for cardiovascular fitness, are not weight-bearing exercises. Resistance training involves the use of weights on your arms and legs while exercising. A combination of these exercises should be done on most days of the week for approximately 30 minutes.

	False

Correct Exercise is important in the development of peak bone mass, however the best exercises to achieve the highest peak bone mass are weight bearing and resistance training exercises. Weight bearing exercises include any exercise where you are putting a load on your bones for example jumping, walking, skipping, running. Swimming and cycling, while good for cardiovascular fitness, are not weight-bearing exercises. Resistance training involves the use of weights on your arms and legs while exercising. A combination of these exercises should be done on most days of the week for approximately 30 minutes.

10. The recommended daily calcium intake for adult women between the ages of 19 until menopause is 1000 mgs.

	True

Correct The amount of recommended daily calcium intake varies according to gender and age. Women between 19 - onset of menopause, should be consuming 1000mg/day. This is the equivalent of 2-3 serves of dairy food or calcium enriched soy products. Women breastfeeding or pregnant should increase their daily calcium intake to 1200mg, 1100mg respectively.

	False

Incorrect The amount of recommended daily calcium intake varies according to gender and age. Women between 19 - onset of menopause, should be consuming 1000mg/day. This is the equivalent of 2-3 serves of dairy food or calcium enriched soy products. Women breastfeeding or pregnant should increase their daily calcium intake to 1200mg, 1100mg respectively.