The association between body mass index and osteoporosis in a Taiwanese population: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study

Abstract

This study investigates the correlation between body mass index (BMI) and osteoporosis utilizing data from the Taiwan Biobank. Initially, a comprehensive analysis of 119,009 participants enrolled from 2008 to 2019 was conducted to assess the association between BMI and osteoporosis prevalence. Subsequently, a longitudinal cohort of 24,507 participants, initially free from osteoporosis, underwent regular follow-ups every 2-4 years to analyze the risk of osteoporosis development, which was a subset of the main cohort. Participants were categorized into four BMI groups: underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m²), normal weight (18.5 kg/m² ≤ BMI < 24 kg/m²), overweight (24 kg/m² ≤ BMI < 27 kg/m²), and obese groups (BMI ≥ 27 kg/m²). A T-score ≤ - 2.5 standard deviations below that of a young adult was defined as osteoporosis. Overall, 556 (14.1%), 5332 (9.1%), 2600 (8.1%) and 1620 (6.7%) of the participants in the underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese groups, respectively, had osteoporosis. A higher prevalence of osteoporosis was noted in the underweight group compared with the normal weight group (odds ratio [OR], 2.20; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.99 to 2.43; p value < 0.001) in multivariable binary logistic regression analysis. Furthermore, in the longitudinal cohort during a mean follow-up of 47 months, incident osteoporosis was found in 61 (9%), 881 (7.2%), 401 (5.8%) and 213 (4.6%) participants in the underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese groups, respectively. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed that the risk of incident osteoporosis was higher in the underweight group than in the normal weight group (hazard ratio [HR], 1.63; 95% CI 1.26 to 2.12; p value < 0.001). Our results suggest that BMI is associated with both the prevalence and the incidence of osteoporosis. In addition, underweight is an independent risk factor for developing osteoporosis. These findings highlight the importance of maintaining normal weight for optimal bone health.

Keywords: Body mass index; Bone mineral density; Epidemiologic study; Osteoporosis; Taiwan Biobank.

Figure 1

Study participants were classified by body mass index.

Figure 2

Time to osteoporosis development was shorter in underweight participants than normal weight participants. Kaplan–Meier plot of incident osteoporosis development according to BMI groups in 24,507 participants with follow-up data. *p value < 0.001; **p value < 0.001; ***p value < 0.001.