Table 1.
Characteristics of the Somali women, n = 114, living in Sweden, and native Swedish women, n = 69 as comparison group: other diseases, medication, laboratory data and Health-Related Quality of Life measured using Short Form-36 and EQ-5D. Means ± SD and percentages (%) are given.
| Somali women N = 114 | Comparison group N = 69 | p-level | p-level adjusted for age | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 34 ± 9 (18–56) | 49 ± 6 (38–56) | <.001 | – |
| Body weight, kg | 74 ± 14 | 70 ± 12 | .03 | .002 |
| Height, cm | 164 ± 7 | 166 ± 7 | .08 | .03 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 27 ± 5 | 26 ± 4 | .006 | <.0001 |
| S-Calcium, mmol/l | 2.32 ± 0.09 | 2.30 ± 0.09 | .30 | .74 |
| S-Calcium <2.15 mmol/l, n (%) | 0 (0) | 1 (2) | .38 | 1 |
| S-25(OH)D, nmol/l | 23 ± 13 | 57 ± 19 | <.0001 | <.0001 |
| S-25(OH)D < 25 nmol/l | 83 (73) | 1 (2) | <.0001 | <.0001 |
| S-PTH, pmol/l | 5.9 ± 2.3 | 4.8± 1.6 | .001 | <.0001 |
| S-PTH > 6.9 pmol/l, n (%) | 30 (26) | 6 (9) | .004 | .004 |
| S-DBP, ng/ml | 204 ± 86 | 248 ± 88 | .001 | .005 |
| S-vitamin B12 deficiency, n (%) | 0 (0) | 2 (3) | .14 | .17 |
| Hypothyroidism, n (%) | 9 (8) | 8 (12) | .44 | 1 |
| Elevated TPOAb, n (%) | 10 (9) | 7 (10) | .80 | .69 |
| S-free T4, pmol/l | 14.3 ± 2.5 | 16.0 ± 2.0 | <.001 | <.001 |
| S-TSH, mU/l | 1.9 ± 1.5 | 2.1 ± 1.2 | .07 | .99 |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 4 (4) | 7 (10) | .11 | .28 |
| Diabetes mellitus, n (%) | 2 (2) | 0 (0) | .53 | 1 |
| Fractures, n (%) | 2 (2) | 19 (28) | <.0001 | <.0001 |
| Any medication, n (%) | 18 (16) | 38 (55) | <.0001 | <.0001 |
| Calcium/vitamin D supplement, n (%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Allergy medication, n (%) | 13 (11) | 5 (7) | .45 | .006 |
| Analgesics, n (%) | 14 (12) | 8 (11) | 1 | 1 |
| Psychopharmacological agents, n (%) | 0 | 18 (26) | <.0001 | .0001 |
| Physical component score, low-high* | 47 ± 9 | 49 ± 10 | <.001 | <.001 |
| Mental component score, low-high* | 47± 12 | 52 ± 11 | .02 | .17 |
| Self-rated health, (0–100), low-high* | 76 ± 22 | 81 ± 17 | .0014 | .01 |
PTH: Parathyroid hormone; DBP: Vitamin D-Binding Protein; TPOAb: Thyreoperoxidase antibodies; T4: Thyroxine. *n = 82/114 Somali women fulfilled the questionnaires.