OBJECTIVE: To investigate the accuracy of Osteoporosis Self-assessment Tool for Asians (OSTA) in identifying the risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. To validate use of OSTA risk index by comparing it with the bone mineral density (BMD) of lumbar spine measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). METHODS: The data of lumbar spine BMD (LS BMD) measurements by DXA of 218 postmenopausal women of Han nationality in Sichuan province were compared with OSTA risk index. The concordance of OSTA and LS BMD were calculated and analyzed by fourfold table and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: The prevalence of osteoporosis in these women was 40.4% and 61.5%, with the LS BMD T score cutoffs -2.5 and -2.0, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of OSTA risk index compared with T score cutoff -2.5 of LS BMD were 59.1%, 56.9% and 57.8%, respectively, while they were 57.5%, 63.1%, 59.6% by T score cutoff -2.0. CONCLUSION: For identifying risk of osteoporosis, the concurrence was lower than those reported studies when comparing LS BMD measurements to OSTA risk index in Chinese Han nationality postmenopausal women of Sichuan province. Physicians should identify women who need BMD measurement according to more factors rather than age and body weight.