Bone mass in an urban and a rural population: A comparative, population-based study in Southern Sweden

Abstract

Several previous studies have reported regional differences in the incidence of hip fractures. A population‐based study was performed in the city of Malmö (urban population) and in the municipality of Sjöbo (rural population), 60 km apart. A total of 961 men and women, randomly selected and of Scandinavian ethnic background, participated in the study. Bone mineral content (BMC) of the forearm was measured with single‐photon absorptiometry (SPA). Women and men in the city had significantly lower BMC compared with the rural population. The differences were even more pronounced when comparing a true urban population (lived their entire life in a city) with a true rural population (never lived in a city). The differences in BMC between Malmö and Sjöbo were more obvious in men. These data suggest that differences in bone mass between an urban and a rural population could to some extent explain differences in fracture incidence.