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Egg Consumption and Mid‐Radius Cortical Bone in Children
Author(s) -
Coheley Lauren M,
Laing Emma M,
Oshri Assaf,
Kindler Joseph M,
Lewis Richard D
Publication year - 2016
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.30.1_supplement.1164.10
Subject(s) - medicine , cortical bone , bone mineral content , bone mineral , vitamin d and neurology , quantitative computed tomography , body mass index , zoology , osteoporosis , nuclear medicine , anatomy , biology
Childhood is a period of rapid skeletal development, but is paralleled by an increased fracture risk, particularly at the radius. Dietary interventions designed to improve bone strength and reduce fracture risk in children have focused on single nutrients, foods and/or food patterns, but data specific to egg intake are lacking. The aim of this study was to determine if egg intake during childhood is associated with cortical bone mineral content (BMC), structure and strength of the radius. Participants included 295 healthy, black and white boys and girls who participated in a randomized controlled vitamin D trial. Radius cortical bone was assessed via peripheral quantitative computed tomography (Stratec XCT 2000) at the 66% site relative to the distal growth plate. Fat‐free soft tissue (FFST) mass was assessed using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA; Delphi‐A, Hologic Inc [UGA]; Lunar iDXA, GE Medical Instruments [PU]; and Hologic Discovery‐W [IU]). Three‐day diet records were used to record total egg intake and estimate bone‐related nutrients. Relationships between egg intake and cortical bone outcomes were assessed using bivariate and partial correlations while adjusting for stage of pubertal maturation, sex, race, and FFST mass. In all children, egg intake was positively correlated with radius cortical BMC (Ct.BMC; r = 0.180, p = .003), total area, (r = 0.134, p = .029), cortical bone area (r = 0.152, p = .014), periosteal circumference (r = 0.140, p = .023), polar strength strain index (r = 0.144, p = .019), and FFST mass (r = 0.199, p = .045). All significant relationships, except for Ct.BMC (r = 0.129, p = .038), were nullified after adjustments. Path analysis was used to determine the mediating role of FFST mass in the relationship between egg intake and cortical BMC at the mid‐radius. In our path model, egg intake was a positive predictor of FFST mass and FFST mass was a positive predictor of Ct.BMC. Dietary egg intake was a positive predictor of Ct.BMC with and without adjustment for the mediator, FFST mass. FFST mass was a partial mediator of the relationship between egg intake and Ct.BMC (β = 0.063, p = .029), indicating egg may benefit bone development independent of muscle ( Figure 1). While the magnitude of the significant relationships between egg intake and bone geometry are small in this study, our data show that egg intake may have a positive impact on radius BMC and that skeletal muscle may play an important intermediary role in these relationships. Intervention trials are warranted to examine the impact of egg intake on pediatric musculoskeletal development. Support or Funding Information The Egg Nutrition Center 1FFSI mass is a partial mediator in the relationship between dietary egg consumption and mid‐radius Ct.BMC. Race, sex and sexual maturation rating stage were included as covariates in this model. *Indicates the relationship between 3‐day egg intake and mid‐radius Ct.BMC after adjusting for race, sex and sexual maturation rating stage. FFST, fat‐free soft tissue; Ct.BMC, cortical bone mineral content.