Associations of acculturation on peak bone mass and correlates of bone health in Latino women

Abstract

This research aimed to determine the effect of acculturation on bone mass and osteoporosis risk factors in Latino women. Sixty-one women were tested for bone mineral density (BMD), physical activity, physical fitness, body composition, acculturation, and nutritional history. Three groups (low, medium, high acculturation) were compared by analysis of variance. Multiple linear regression determined predictors of BMD (p < 0.05) The high acculturation group was significantly more aerobically fit (41.8 ± 5.9 vs. 36.5 ± 6.5 and 34.6 ± 4.2 ml/kg/min) and more recreationally physically active (1882 ± 327 vs. 627 ± 179 vs. 708 ± 231 MET-min/week) than medium and low, respectively. Bone mineral density trended lower with increasing acculturation. Lean body mass was the most significant predictor of spine (r = 0.36, p < 0.05) and hip (r = 0.54, p < 0.05) BMD. Physical activity contributed significantly to the prediction of hip BMD (R = 0.59, p < 0.05). Acculturation may negatively influence BMD, and does alter determinants of BMD, including aerobic fitness, physical activity and body composition, in Latino women. These data suggest that acculturation in Latino women may increase lifetime risk of osteoporosis for reasons that remain unclear.