Objective To investigate the risk factors for osteoporosis (OP) in aged people at Beicai Town in Shanghai, to provide proofs for preventing OP. Methods Questionnaire survey was carried out on bone density in 608 aged people (aged from 60 to 79 years) who were randomly chosen from 4 resident committees of Beicai Town in Shanghai. Everyone underwent bone mineral density (BMD) assay of lumbar spine and total hip by DEXA machine. Results The rate of OP was 23 % in male group, and 61% in female group. It was 40% in 60-64 years old group, 44% in 65-69 years old group, 53% in 70-74 years old group and 66% in 75-79 years old group. The rate of OP was 52% in manual work group, and 42 % in non-manual work group. In males, it was 54 % in current weight less than 60 kg group, 19% in 60-70 kg group, 15% in 70-80 kg group and 23% in over 80 kg group. In females, it was 76% in current weight less than 50 kg group, 67% in 50-60 kg group, 63% in 60-70kg group, 30% in over 70 kg group. It was 56% in low body weight group, 41% in normal weight group and 58% in over weight group in their 25-year-old. It was 61% in normal body weight group, 43% in overweight group. It was 41% in non-fracture history group, 67% in once fracture group,74% in fracture history more than twice group. It was 60% in mother humpback history group, and 47% in no history of mother humpback group. Logistic regression analysis showed that gender, age,history of fracture, mother's humpbacked history, disease of internal secretion and metabolism system were the risk factors for OP. Conclusions The occurrence of OP is related with many factors in aged people at Beicai Town in Shanghai, especially for the aged women, who suffer from diseases of internal secretion and metabolism, and has the history of fracture and mother's humpbacked, the attention should be payed to the prevention and treatment of OP.