Osteoporosis

Contents
1.Key facts
2.What is osteoporosis?
3.Prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia, people aged 50 and over, 2011–12
4.Rate of hospitalisation for osteoporosis, by age and sex, 2013–14
5.Hospitalisations following minimal trauma by fracture site, people aged 50 and over, 2013–14
6.Rate of minimal trauma hip fractures, people aged 50 and over, 2013–14
7.Trend in hospitalisation for minimal trauma hip fractures, people aged 50 and over, 2004–05 to 2013–14
8.Expenditure on osteoporosis, by age and sex, 2008–09
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Osteoporosis by the numbers

Nearly 1 in 10
Australians aged 50 and over (9.4%) have osteoporosis or
osteopenia, based on self-reported data, approximately 652,500
people in 2011–12.

5x
more women compared with men aged 50 or over have osteoporosis or
osteopenia—15.1% of women (542,500) and 3.3% of men (110,000).

2.6x
the rate of hospitalisation for minimal trauma fracture (likely to be
associated with osteoporosis) for women aged 50 or over (1,157
per 100,000 people) compared with men (448 per 100,000).
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What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a condition that causes bones to become thin, weak and fragile, such that
even a minor bump or accident can cause a broken bone (known as a minimal trauma
fracture).
Osteopenia is a condition when bone mineral density is lower than normal but not low
enough to be classified as osteoporosis. Older people and post-menopausal women are at
greater risk of having these conditions.
The data presented here are likely to
underestimate the actual prevalence of
these conditions because they have no
overt symptoms.
The following graphics are from the AIHW
web snapshot Osteoporosis
http://aihw.gov.au/osteoporosis/
Information last updated in February 2016.
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Prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia, people aged 50 and over, 2011–12

Source: AIHW analysis of unpublished ABS Australian Health Survey, 2011–12 (National Health Survey Component).
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Rate of hospitalisation for osteoporosis, by age and sex, 2013–14

Source: AIHW National Hospital Morbidity Database.

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Hospitalisations following minimal trauma by fracture site, people aged 50 and
over, 2013–14

Source: AIHW National Hospital Morbidity Database.

 Osteoporosis
Rate of minimal trauma hip fractures, people aged 50 and over, 2013–14

Source: AIHW National Hospital Morbidity Database.

 Osteoporosis
Trend in hospitalisation for minimal trauma hip fractures, people aged 50 and over,
2004–05 to 2013–14

Source: AIHW National Hospital Morbidity Database.

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Expenditure on osteoporosis, by age and sex, 2008–09

Source: AIHW Disease Expenditure Database..