The normal reference of bone mineral density ranges for young women age 16 to 30 in central region, Uganda. A cross-sectional study.

Background Osteoporosis is a prevalent skeletal disorder characterized by reduced bone mineral density (BMD) and increased fracture risk. This study establishes normal reference ranges of bone mineral density for young women aged 16 to 30 in the central region of Uganda. Methods This cross-sectional study used secondary data from the Bone Care Study, the Bone Mineral Density Study, and the Kampala Women's Bone Study. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. The normal reference ranges were established, and they are presented as mean BMD values and standard deviation per age group, with the Shapiro-Wilk test assessing normality and non-parametric methods applied if needed. Comparisons with white women’s NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) BMD standards were done using a one-sample t-test. Results The mean ± SD age was 21.4 ±3.2 years, the mean body mass index (BMI) for all the study participants was 23.4 (3.9), 496 (64.9%) were from KWBS, 227 (29.7%) from the Bone care study, and 41 records (5.4%) from the BMD study. The average (SD) age was 21.4 (3.2) years. 50.3% of the participants were aged 16 to 20. Mean BMD at Lumbar spine (LS), Total hip (TH), Femoral Neck (FN), and whole body (WB) increased with age. BMD values range from 0.932 to 0.980 at LS, 0.953 to 0.989 at the TH, 0.868 to 0.889 at the FN, and 0.937 to 1.020 for the whole body. Conclusion The established BMD for Ugandan women was significantly lower than the current references. The use of inappropriate, non-representative reference values compromises the accuracy of osteoporosis screening. Recommendation The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with relevant professional bodies, should spearhead the development of context-specific clinical guidelines for the assessment, interpretation, and management of low BMD and osteoporosis in Uganda.