Beyond calcium status obesity would impair bone mineralization in school age children of both sexes: Preliminary report.

During nutritional assessment of children 5 to 9,12 y old, impaired bone mineralization was found when both, inadequate calcium status and weight excess were present. To discriminate each variable influence, we took those129 cases with paired data of anthropometry (APM), calcium status (CaS) and bone mineral density (BMD), previously determined. In basal urine samples, Ca and creatinine, expressed as Ca/Cr ratio, an index of CaS where <0.07, deficient, or >;0.07, adequate. Quantitative Ultrasonic Index, expressed as QUI was used by BMD. Data was analyzed according to: APM, normal (N), overweight (OW) and obesity (O), by age group and range of CaS. Results of QUI are shown in the table Although analysis is consistent with the study objective, wide SD not allowed obtain any statistical significance. In normal groups, changes in QUI due to age were as expected. Conversely, excessive weight, especially in obese children, showed negative effects on QUI, even in presence of adequate calcium status. Conclusion Results point to children obesity as a risk factor for poor bone development, that would be al least as important as calcium status. Many more cases are necessary to test and verify this new hypothesis. UBCyT B060. H. Dupraz. PhD Thesis