Low bone mineral density among the Bangladeshi public health professionals: a cross-sectional study

Description: This dataset contains the data of 330 public health professionals who participated in 9th Regional Public Health Conference. Data were collected to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD) and potential demographic, behavioral and health correlates therefor.
Systems and methods: A semi-structured questionnaire was developed to collect information on socio-demographic characteristics (age, sex, occupation, education, diet (habitual fruit consumption or vegetable intake, use of dietary supplements for vitamin D), lifestyle variables (physical activity, water intake, sleep quality, sunlight exposure and tobacco use), medical history (Hypertension, Diabetes, CVDs, Chronic Kidney disease).
Physical measurements: BMD, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP), height and weight.
BMD was measured by Ultrasound Bone Densitometer CM-200 Light (Furuno Electric Company, Japan) and T-scores were categorized according to the WHO criteria. Using SPSS 25.0 statistical analyses included chi-square and t-tests.
Key findings: We found that 37.9% of the respondents had low bone mass (LBM) and the prevalence increased significantly with age, especially in people aged from 46 to 65 years (45.5%). While the prevalence of LBM was slightly higher in females (38.5%) compared to males, there are significant gender-specific risks that need attention. Chronic conditions, especially chronic kidney disease (66.7%) and diabetes made up the highest LBM rate (53.3%). More respondents with a normal bone density reported managing regular physical exercise, adequate sleep, fruit and vegetable consumption, appropriate water intake and avoidance of tobacco use as compared to those with osteopenia or low BMD; however these associations were not statistically significant. While greater BMI was associated with a higher percentage of LBM, high overall BMD did not significantly correlate in this study. The LBM group had slightly higher systolic blood pressure and no significant effect on BMD was seen with respect to educational level.
Potential Uses of Dataset: This dataset offers valuable insights into bone health and associated factors within the public health workforce in Bangladesh. It can serve as a comparative basis for international studies on BMD and inform public health strategies to enhance bone health and manage related risks, particularly in aging populations.
Ethical Approval: Approval was granted by the Ethical Review Committee of Bangladesh University of Health Sciences, with informed consent obtained from all participants.
Keywords: low bone mass, Bangladesh, public health, professionals.