Korean J Nutr.  2005 Apr;38(3):242-250.

A Study of Factors Affecting Bone Mineral Density in Korean Adolescents: Anthropometric Measurements, Life Style, and Other Environmental Factors

• Ahn HS
• Kim SH
• Lee SS

Abstract

This study was conducted to assess the bone mineral density (BMD) and the anthropometric measurements, life style, and other environmental factors affecting BMD in Korean adolescents. Subjects were 167 high school students (83 male students, 84 female students) in Seoul. BMD was measured in the lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN), femoral trochanter (FT), and Ward's triangle (WT) by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). The questionnaire was used to assess the anthropometric measurements, life style, and other environmental factors. Bone mineral density of LS, FN, FT and WT were 0.967, 0.960, 0.795, 0.761 g/cm2. The BMD of LS was not different by sex but the male students's BMD of FN, FT and WT were higher significantly than the female students (LS: 0.976 vs. 0.958, FN: 1.040 vs. 0.880, FT: 0.842 vs. 0.749, WT: 0.827 vs. 0.695 g/cm2) Female students's BMD of LS, FN, WT, and FT was positively correlated with weight but male students's BMD of WT was not correlated with weight. The factors such as the life style, activity and exercise have significant influence on BMD. This study confirms that the major factor affecting BMD was body weight and the factors such as the life style, activity and exercise is related to accumulation of BMD. The classification of sexual characteristics is needed for further studies on BMD of adolescents.

Keyword

bone mineral density (BMD); adolescent; anthropometric measurements; life-style; environmental factors

MeSH Terms

Absorptiometry, Photon
Adolescent*
Body Weight
Bone Density*
Classification
Female
Femur
Femur Neck
Humans
Life Style*
Male
Seoul
Spine
Surveys and Questionnaires