Table 3.

Physician and Patient Factors Associated with Referral for DXA

Variable	Level	Odds Ratio* (95% Confidence Interval)	P Value*
Physician factors
Type of physician	Resident (n=70)	0.60 (0.23, 1.56)
	Internist (n=135)	0.31 (0.15, 0.63)	.28
Hospital affiliation	Academic (n=112)	0.29 (0.13, 0.63)
	Community (n=93)	0.52 (0.22, 1.22)	.314
Physician gender	Female (n=130)	0.49 (0.24, 1.00)
	Male (n=75)	0.25 (0.10, 0.66)	.266
Patient factors
Current HT use	Yes	1.10 (0.26, 4.65)
	No	0.33 (0.18, 0.62)	.134
Age	Over 80 years of age	0.39 (0.16, 0.92)
	80 and under	0.38 (0.17, 0.83)	.953
Weight	Over 115 pounds	0.28 (0.12, 0.66)
	115 and less	0.49 (0.23, 1.08)	.333
Additional risk factors†	One or more	0.24 (0.11, 0.54)
	No additional risk factors	0.71 (0.27, 1.88)	.098

^*Odds ratios are comparing the odds of referral for African-American with white women at different levels of physician and patient factors. Estimates are obtained using logistic regression models. The Pvalues correspond to testing the null hypothesis that the odds of referral between the factors within the same physician or patient level are the same.

^†Additional risk factors include: Excessive alcohol use (>3 drinks per day), family history of osteoporosis, personal history of hip or spinal compression fracture, prior or current use of medications predisposing to osteoporosis, history of a predisposing disorder, and other metabolic bone disease.

DXA, dual energy x-ray absorptiometry; HT, hormone therapy.