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Bone Mineral Density in Hutterite Children
Author(s) -
Wey Christine,
Binkley Teresa,
Beare Tianna,
Arneson Lacey,
Specker Bonny
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.883.3
Subject(s) - medicine , demography , bone mineral , population , young adult , osteoporosis , pediatrics , gerontology , environmental health , sociology
We previously found that Hutterite women and men have greater areal bone mineral density (aBMD) than non‐Hutterites. It is unknown whether this higher aBMD occurs at younger ages. We examined Hutterite children to test the hypotheses that aBMD in younger (<15y) children would be similar to reference data (Z score = 0); but greater than reference data (Z score>0) in older children after they enter the adult workforce at age 15. We measured hip and spine aBMD in 325 children aged 5 to 20 years: 186 children <15y and 139 children >=15 years. Older Hutterite females and males had higher % time in moderate+vigorous activity (21±10%, 29±11% respectively [mean±SD]), than younger females and males (15±10%, 18±10%). Younger females and males had hip Z‐scores (0.30±1.0, 0.44±1.0) greater than 0 (p = 0.002, p<0.001 respectively) indicating higher aBMD among young children compared to reference data. Younger males had spine Z‐score (−0.27±1.2) less than 0 (p = 0.04). None of the Z‐scores for the older age group differed from 0. Contrary to our hypothesis, younger Hutterite children had greater hip aBMD Z scores than the reference data; whereas older children did not. We speculate, based on previous data in adults that younger menarcheal age in this population may lead to greater hip Z scores among the younger females. The reason for low spine aBMD in young Hutterite males is being investigated.