Bone Health Status among Thalassemia Children

Low bone mineral density is a significant problem in children with Thalassemia which may lead to increased risk for fragility fractures and suboptimal peak bone mass. This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the bone health status of Thalassemia children Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre and Paediatrics Insititute Kuala Lumpur Hospital. A total of 81 respondents diagnosed with transfusion dependant beta Thalassemia (41 boys and 40 girls) aged between 7 to 19 years old completed the study. The data collected were demographic information, anthropometric measurements, dairy frequency questionnaires, dietary habits of the respondents and their parents, dietary intakes and bone densitometry using Ultrasound Bone Densitometer. For Quantitative Ultrasound (QUS) parameters, T-score of 9.8% participants were lower than -1.0 and 30.9% of the participants had lower Speed of Sound (SOS) than healthy SOS. This study showed there was no difference in bone density by sex (p>0.05). The median bone density of boys was 1616.00 m/ sec (IQR= 39.00) and girls’ was 1579.00 m/ sec (IQR= 116.00). SOS was not increased with age, height and weight; but girls’ Body Mass Index (BMI). Malay children had significantly higher SOS than non-Malay children. This study highlights a need of proper intervention for the high risk group to achieve optimal bone health.

Factors Related to Calceneal Broadband Ultrasound Attenuation, Anthropometric Indexes and Nutrient Intakes among Elementary School Children in Chungnam / 대한지역사회영양학회지

Variables affecting bone heath of growing children were analyzed among forty nine 10-12 year old elementary students in three rural regions of north west Chungnam area. Information on age of the parents, duration of breast feeding and birth weight were collected from the guardians of the participants and nutrient intake and diet quality were assessed by average of three-day food records of participants with the help of dietitians. Bone health status was measured by calceneal broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) using quantitative ultrasound (QUS). Results showed that anthropometic indexes and nutrient intake levels were not different between boys and girls. However, iron intake was significantly lower in girls than in boys. Girls after menarche showed lower intake levels for thiamin, riboflavin, pyridoxine and niacin than girls before menarche. z-scores of BMI were lower than -1 and higher than +1 showed shorter breast feeding period than others but the difference was statistically non-significant. Overall, the subjects did not consume enough s of calcium, vitamin C and folic acid. Zinc intake and BMI were the most significant factors affecting BUA by the results of backward elimination in multiple regression models. Phosphorous and beta-carotene intakes showed significant negative relation with BUA. This study showed that children living in the rural area of Chungnam need extra care to keep their health and nutrient intakes especially for the nutrients known to affect growth. Tailored nutrition education needs to be more focused on the improvement of bone health status of children.

Calcium Intake, Vitamin D and Bone Health Status of Post-menopausal Chinese Women in Kuala Lumpur

Bone health status was investigated in 178 free-living Chinese post-menopausal women in Kuala Lumpur. Body mass index (BMI), body composition (using whole body DXA), calcium intake and serum 25-OH vitamin D status were measured along with biochemical markers of bone turnover, that is, pro-collagen Type 1 N-terminal peptide (P1NP), osteocalcin (OC) and C-telopeptide ß cross link of Type 1 collagen (CTX- β). Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured using DXA (Hologic, USA) at the lumbar spine, femoral neck and total hip. Results showed that osteopenia was present in 50% of the subjects at the spine and 57.9% at the femoral neck. Osteoporosis was diagnosed in 10% of the subjects at both the femoral neck and spine. A total of 29.3% of the subjects had high levels of CTX- ß. Mean serum level of 25-OH vitamin D was 60.4+15.6 nmol/L and 50.6% of the subjects had hypovitaminosis D (defined as <50 nmol/l). Mean total calcium intake of the subjects was 497 + 233 mg, of which only 14% met the RNI for calcium with the additional intake of calcium supplements. Body fat was also significantly correlated (r=0.181, p<0.05) with BMD at the spine but not BMD at the femoral neck. Lean body mass was positively correlated with BMD at the spine (r=0.289, p<0.001) and femoral neck (r=0.295, p<0.001). CTX-β was negatively correlated with BMD at the spine (r= -0.235, p<0.001), whereas P1NP (r=-0.215, p<0.001) and osteocalcin (r=-0.265, p<0.001) were both negatively correlated with BMD at the femoral neck. Generally, the study found that women with osteopenia had higher levels of bone turnover markers, less lean body mass and lower calcium intake than women with normal BMD. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the majority of free living Chinese post-menopausal women in Kuala Lumpur have low calcium intake, low 25-OH vitamin D status and low bone mass and elevated biochemical markers of bone turnover.

Effects of Body Composition and Nutrients Intake on the Calcaneal Broadband Ultrasound Attenuation in College Students / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship of nutritional status measured by the body composition and dietary nutrients intakes with calcaneal broadband ultrasound attenuation in college students. Total of 886 (462 male and 424 female) students who received health examination in May 2007 participated in this research.Participants bone status was measured by a quantitative ultrasound method and t-score was calculated via WHO guideline. For body composition measurements, body fat, height and weight were measured and BMI was calculated. Dietary data were collected by a 24-hour recall method. Based on Asia-Pacific standard of WHO, BMI was divided into 3 groups; UW (BMI<18.5), NW + OW (18.5< or =BMI<25) and Obese group (25< or =BMI). Among male students, 2.4% belong to the UW group, 45.0% to the NW+OW group and 52.6% belong to the obese group, while 10.4% of female students belong to the UW group, 71.9% to the NW + OW group and 17.7% of female students belong to the Obese group. Differences among male and female students were statistically significant (p<0.001). Students with higher BMI showed significantly higher bone health status. Male students did not show any significant differences in nutrients intakes by BMI groups while female students showed the higher intakes of energy, protein, pyridoxin, phosphorus, iron and zinc among NW + OW group than other groups (p < 0.05). The qualitative and quantitative evaluation of diet by BMI groups did not show any significant differences in both male and female students. The result of the multiple regression analyses showed that the body fat and bone status was negatively related while energy intake was positively related with the bone status. These results revealed that bone health status was positively affected by BMI but not by body fat. In conclusion, among those who are at their twenties, the period when the bone density becomes maximized, body fat may negatively affect bone health unlike during other life cycle stages.