# Prevalence of Osteoporosis Among Patients Visiting Primary Health Clinics in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, From 2021 to 2024

## TL;DR

This study found that nearly a third of patients in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, had osteoporosis, with higher rates in women and low treatment rates overall.

## Contribution

The study provides new regional data on osteoporosis prevalence and treatment rates in Saudi Arabia using primary healthcare records from 2021 to 2024.

## Key findings

- 31.54% of patients had osteoporosis, with 36.7% of women and 21.16% of men affected.
- The eastern sector had the highest osteoporosis prevalence at 32.8%.
- Treatment rates were low at 11.49%, with no significant difference between sexes.

## Abstract

Background

Osteoporosis, recognized as a debilitating condition, significantly affects skeletal health and overall quality of life by increasing the risk of fractures and functional impairments. This retrospective cross-sectional study aims to evaluate the prevalence of osteoporosis and explore associated demographic factors among individuals who underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) screening between 2021 and 2024 in primary healthcare (PHC) centers in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.

Materials and methods

This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at primary healthcare centers in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. The study used data from patients' medical records collected from 2021 to 2024. After obtaining approval from the Research Ethics Committee of Prince Saud Bin Jalawi Hospital, we collected data from the medical records, including age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and DEXA scan results. The inclusion criteria included all patients who underwent DEXA scans during the specified period, excluding those with incomplete data. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics to assess the osteoporosis prevalence and treatment rates. Independent sample t-tests were used to compare mean age and BMI between groups, while chi-square tests were used to evaluate associations between categorical variables, such as sex and osteoporosis diagnosis.

Results

A total of 5,768 valid and clean records were included in the final analysis. The cohort comprised 66.8% women (n=4,357) and 33.2% men (n=2,169). The mean age was 64.7±8.2 years (range: 40-104), and the mean BMI was 30.5±6.0 kg/m². Most participants were from the eastern sector (48.7%), followed by the middle (25.3%), southern (16.5%), and northern (9.6%) sectors. The highest sector with a T-score equal to -2.5 was the eastern sector, around 32.8%, followed by the northern, middle, and southern sectors, around 32.2%, 30.4%, and 28.7%, respectively. Among the study population, 31.54% had a T-score of less than or equal to -2.5, indicating osteoporosis. When analyzed by sex, the condition was present in 36.7% of women and 21.16% of men, reflecting the prevalence within each sex group. Compared with international benchmarks, the total treatment rate observed in our study (11.49%) was notably low. Patients with the most severe T-scores (equal to -2.5 or less) exhibited the lowest mean BMI, while those with higher T-scores (between -1.0 and -2.5 and equal to -1.0 or higher) had progressively higher mean BMI values.

Conclusion

The findings highlight significant disparities in osteoporosis prevalence and treatment uptake between sexes, with women showing a higher prevalence (36.7%) but equally low treatment rates compared to men (11.48% versus 11.53%). Regional variations were also observed, with the eastern sector having the highest proportion of individuals with osteoporosis. Emphasizing the need for targeted interventions may include strengthening community-based screening programs, clinician education on guideline-based treatment, and incorporating osteoporosis risk assessment into routine check-ups. Policy changes should prioritize expanding insurance coverage for DEXA scans and ensuring equitable access to pharmacologic therapy for at-risk populations.