Dietary protein intake as measured by a picture-sort food frequency questionnaire and risk of osteoporotic hip fracture in aging residents of Utah

Protein is an important component of bone, but the role of dietary protein intake in osteoporosis remains controversial. The Utah picture-sort food frequency questionnaire was found to produce a useful estimation of usual dietary intake in the elderly. This method of dietary assessment was used in a population-based case-control study to examine the relationship between protein intake and risk of osteoporotic hip fracture in elderly Utah residents. Analyses of risk of hip fracture across increasing quartiles of protein intake were stratified by age-group. Higher protein intake was associated with a reduced risk of hip fracture in men and women aged 50–69 years but did not appear to increase or decrease risk of hip fracture in those aged 70–89 years. The relationship appeared to be modified by age. Modification of protein intake late in life may be a useful means to prevent hip fractures in the elderly.