A prospective analysis of body fat and bone mineral accrual during pubertal growth

Abstract

This project sought to determine the relationship between accumulation of body fat and bone mineral content accrual in females followed over a period of up to 11 years from pre-pubertal (n = 203; aged 4 to 8 years) to pubertal maturation (n = 71; aged 13 to 19 years). Body fat percentage and BMC were measured using DXA. The slope of the regressions of each subject’s repeated measurements over time was calculated for each subject for BMC, fat mass, and percent body fat. Pearson correlations and partial correlations, corrected for total body lean mass and height, were calculated. When adjusted for height and total body lean mass, percent body fat was positively related to BMC of the total body (R=0.52, P<0.0001), total proximal femur (R=0.35, P<0.0001), and non-dominant forearm (R=0.32, P=<0.0001). Similarly, total body fat mass was positively related to BMC of the total body (R=0.65, P<0.0001), total proximal femur (P=0.31, P<0.0001), and non-dominant forearm (R=0.34, P=<0.0001). These longitudinal data of females followed from childhood through adolescence indicate a significant positive impact of adiposity on BMC accrual.