| Objective This paper examined the current status of epidemiological investigation of osteoporosis (OP) in the past five years, especially the weakness of the studies, in order to provide guidance to future epidemiological studies. Methods Literature on OP epidemiology published in Chinese journals from January 2012 to July 2017 were collected and analyzed by using the key words "osteoporosis", "epidemiology" and "risk factors". Results A total of 172 full text literature have been searched and retrieved. Among them, 13 articles met the requirements, which involved 11 provinces and autonomous regions nationwide. The sample size ranged from 150 to 2186, with the general population accounted for 46.15%, and OP patients account for 53.85% of the total cases. Among the 13 studies, 69.23% used sampling methods, and 30.76% did not use any sampling method. Eleven surveys used the criteria recommended by WHO, and 9 studies have refined and standardized diagnostic criteria clearly, but only 1 study uses laboratory serum indicators. Factors involved in the literature are divided into three categories, including gender, nationality, age, occupation, marriage, heredity, family history, and knowledge of OP and so on. Conclusion The investigation of OP epidemiology in China is abundant. There are many factors that affect the morbidity and prevalence of OP, but there is a lack of rational designs, strict procedures and unified quality controls. The investigation standard of OP in China needs to be further improved. |