The correlates and determinants of total body (TB), femoral neck (FN), greater trochanter (GT) and leg areal bone mineral density (aBMD), and FN volumetric (vol) BMD were investigated in 42 healthy 6–10-year-old girls. Predictor variables included age, height, weight, lean tissue mass (LTM), fat mass, percent body fat, physical activity level, calcium intake, isokinetic knee flexion and extension strength and endocrine (E2) status. Bone density and body composition were determined by dual energy-x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), and pubertal status was self-determined. LTM, weight, age, knee extensor strength and fat mass were significantly correlated (Pearson correlation coefficients; 0.36 £ r ‡ 0.62) with TBaBMD. These same variables with the addition of height and knee flexor strength were significantly correlated (0.33 £ r ‡ 0.77) with leg aBMD. Only LTM correlated significantly with FNaBMD and none of the independent variables correlated with FNvolBMD or GTaBMD. Only LTM entered as a significant predictor in multiple linear regression analysis (R2 = 46.7%) for TBaBMD. In conclusion, estradiol status, dietary calcium intake and physical activity level appeared not to be important predictors of BMD in this population, whereas LTM was consistently correlated with most BMD measures and was the single significant determinant of TBaBMD in this study.
The effect of dietary calcium intake on bone mineral density in healthy adolescent girls and young women in southern Italy
