Which ethnic group has the lowest risk for developing osteoporosis?

African Americans have the lowest risk for developing osteoporosis among the ethnic groups listed. This is primarily because African Americans tend to have greater bone mineral density than other racial and ethnic groups, a difference that is present from childhood and maintained throughout life. Higher peak bone mass provides a protective reservoir against the bone loss that occurs with aging. Asian Americans and European Americans (white Americans) are considered high-risk groups for osteoporosis due to lower peak bone mass and smaller skeletal frames on average. Hispanic Americans have an intermediate risk — higher than African Americans but generally lower than non-Hispanic white Americans. The major risk factors for osteoporosis include being female, postmenopausal, white or Asian ethnicity, low body weight, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, inadequate calcium and vitamin D intake, and a family history of the disease. Students sometimes confuse Hispanic Americans as having the lowest risk, but research consistently identifies African Americans as having the highest bone density and thus the lowest osteoporosis risk across all major U.S. ethnic groups. The keyed answer of African American is correct.