Factors influencing quality of life of Hungarian postmenopausal women screened by osteodensitometry

The aim of our study was to evaluate factors influencing health related quality of life in Hungarian postmenopausal women who underwent osteodensitometry. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was carried out; 359 women aged over 40 years were involved, attending the outpatient Bone Densitometry Centre of Szeged. Two kinds of tools were used: a self-developed questionnaire of demographic and health data and the abbreviated version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument. The patients were divided into three groups according to the values of their screened bone mineral density: normal, osteopenic, osteoporotic. Higher education [P<0.001, odds ratio (OR): 6.82, confidence interval (CI): 3.07-15.17] and working status (P<0.001, OR: 4.70, CI: 2.01-10.98 in physical domain) proved to be the most remarkable demographic factors to enhance quality of life. With regard to health status, not suffering from any chronic disease seemed to be influential (P=0.05, OR: 7.75, CI: 0.96-62.21). Women in group 'normal' or in group 'osteopenic' (P=0.01, OR: 2.06, CI: 1.18-3.59) were more than two times likely to choose a 'good quality of life' than women in the 'osteoporosis group'. In our study, the most important demographic factors affecting quality of life of bone mineral density-screened postmenopausal women were education and working status. Women with no chronic disease and no osteoporosis had a better quality of life.