O objetivo deste trabalho foi examinar os principais fatores de risco associados ao desenvolvimento de osteoporose primária em mulheres na pós-menopausa com osteopenia. Setenta e seis pacientes entre 46 e 85 anos foram selecionadas; 56,6% apresentaram diagnóstico de osteopenia e 43,4%, de osteoporose, de acordo com o critério da Organização Mundial da Saúde. Os fatores de risco foram pesquisados por meio de registro clínico e questionário de freqüência alimentar. O odds ratio foi calculado por meio do aplicativo Statistica. Oitenta e seis por cento das mulheres com osteopenia e 84,8% das com osteoporose apresentaram baixa ingestão de cálcio através de produtos lácteos. O teste "t" para amostras independentes foi aplicado e não inferiu diferença significativa (p= 0,99) entre os dois grupos. No grupo com osteopenia, os fatores de risco assumiram a seguinte forma hierárquica: ausência de terapia de reposição hormonal (2,000), não-exposição ao sol (1,516), consumo de bebidas alcoólicas na juventude (1,346), consumo atual inadequado de cálcio (1,163), ausência de atividade física atual (1,145), história familiar de osteoporose (1,101), ausência de atividade física na juventude (1,006), tabagismo (0,851) e consumo atual de bebidas alcoólicas (0,827). Em conclusão, a ausência de terapia de reposição hormonal foi o fator de risco que indicou maior probabilidade de ocorrência de osteoporose entre as mulheres com osteopenia.

The objective of this paper was to examine the main risk factors associated with the development of primary osteoporosis in postmenopausal women with osteopenia. Seventy-six patients between 46 and 85 years old were selected; 56.5% presented an osteopenia diagnosis and 43.4% presented an osteoporosis diagnosis, according to the World Health Organization criterion. The risk factors were investigated through clinical register and food-frequency questionnaire. The odds ratio was calculated by the software Statistica. Eighty-six percent of the women affected by osteopenia and 84.8% of those suffering from osteoporosis showed low intake of calcium through dairy products. The "t" test for independent samples was applied and no significant difference (p = 0.99) between the two groups was found. In the group with osteopenia, the risk factors took the following hierarchical form: absence of hormonal replacement therapy (2.000), no sun exposure (1.516), alcoholic drink consumption in youth (1.346), current inadequate intake of calcium (1.163), absence of physical activities in the present (1.145), family history of osteoporosis (1.101), absence of physical activities in youth (1.006), smoking habit (0.851) and consumption of alcoholic drink in the present (0.827). It was concluded that the absence of hormonal replacement therapy was the risk factor which indicated the major probability of the osteoporosis occurrence among the women with osteopenia.