The Relationship Between A Bone-specific Physical Activity Score, Body Composition, And Bone Mineral Density In Korean College Females

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between a bone-specific physical activity (BPAQ) score, body composition, and bone mineral density (BMD) in Korean college females. METHODS: Seventy three college females (21.7 ± 1.8 years; 162.1 ± 4.6 cm; 53.9 ± 5.8 kg) between the ages of 19 and 26 years were recruited from the Universities in Seoul and Gyeonggi areas, South Korea. We used Dual Energy X-ray to measure the BMD of AP lumbar spine (L2-L4) and proximal femur (non-dominant side; total hip, femoral neck, trochanter). We used X-scan plus II (Hospital body Composition Analyzer, Jawon Medical Korea) to measure height (cm), weight (kg), fat free mass (kg), percent body fat (%), and body mass index (BMI). Participants were asked to record 24-hour food intake recall questionnaire. We analyzed total caloric intake (kcal), protein (g), carbohydrate (g), fat (g), vitamin D (μg), calcium (mg), and magnesium (mg) using the Computer Aided Nutritional analysis program (CAN-Pro 4.0). The BPAQ current (previous 12 months) and past (from one year of age) scores were used to obtain a comprehensive account of lifetime physical activity. RESULTS: Weight (p<0.01), BMI (p<0.05), and fat free mass (p<0.001) were positively related to the BMD of L2-L4. Also, weight (p<0.05) and BMI (p<0.05) were positively related to the BMD of femoral neck. Pearson’s correlation showed a positive relationship between vitamin D and spine L2-L4, but there were no linear relationships between other dietary intake variables (p>0.05). There were no significant correlations between BMD variables and BPAQ scores (p>0.05). When fat free mass, BPAQ past score, and vitamin D were included in a multiple linear regression analysis, fat free mass and BPAQ past score were the only remaining predictors of L2-L4 BMD and femoral neck BMD, accounting for 26.4% and 11.8%, respectively. CONCLUSION: It is recommended that healthy body composition and active lifestyle are important to maintain bone health in college females. This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea Grant funded by the Korean Government (NRF-2013S1A5B5A07046267)