ABSTRACT
Few studies have examined the association between dietary patterns and bone mineral density [BMD]. The aim of the present study was to determine the association between dietary patterns and BMD in a sample of postmenopausal women living in Tehran. A group of 160 postmenauposal women participated in this cross-sectional study. Data were collected on their general characteristics, physical activity, and food consumption frequency using questionnaires, and their lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD were measured by dualenergy X-ray absorptiometry. Dietary patterns were identified using factor analysis, and multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratio [OR] for having lower BMD [values less than the median] as related to dietary patterns. Six dietary patterns were identified. The first [high consumption of high-fat dairy products, organ meats, red and processed meats, and whole grains] and the second [high consumption of French fries, mayonnaise, sweets and desserts, and liquid oils] patterns were associated with a lower BMD. Analysis of the data, after adjustment for potential confounders, showed that women in the second median of the first or the second dietary pattern scores were more likely to have a lower BMD at lumbar spine [OR=2.29, 95% CI: 1.05-4.96, P=0.04] and femoral neck [OR=2.83, 95% CI: 1.31-6.09, P<0.01], respectively. Dietary patterns rich in foods with a high content of saturated fats [similar to the first pattern] or those with a low density of essential nutrients for bone health [similar to the second pattern] may be negatively associated with BMD in postmenopausal women living in Tehran