An analysis of selected risk factors of osteoporosis ­ dietary patterns and physical activity ­ in pubescent girls from the Lubelskie province

INTRODUCTION: Peak bone mass is modulated by intrinsic (genetic) and extrinsic factors, such as diet, physical activity, stimulants and medications. Approximately 80-85% of peak bone mass is achieved during puberty. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to analyze selected risk factors for osteoporosis, specifically diet and physical activity, in 10- to 15-year-old girls. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 461 girls from Eastern Poland (Lublin Province). Diet of the study subjects was determined with a 24-h dietary recall survey. Dietary intake of energy and selected nutrients was calculated using Dieta 5.0 software. The analysis included intake of energy, protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, vitamins A, D and C. Physical activity of the study subjects was assessed by means of a diagnostic survey. Statistical analysis included determining mean dietary intakes of analyzed nutrients, as well as their deviations from the intakes recommended for a given age group (10-12 and 13-15 years of age). Associations between diet and physical activity levels were tested with multivariate models of logistic regression, and their statistical significance was verified with Wald test. RESULTS: The study documented insufficient intake of energy, excessive intake of protein and sodium, as well as calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D deficiency. Most surveyed girls declared moderate level of physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary inadequacies observed in the studied girls may lead to inappropriate bone mineralization and as a result, contribute to development of osteoporosis in future. No evident relationships were found between diet and physical activity level.

Relationship between diet and physical activity level in adolescents from post-grammar schools.

INTRODUCTION: Appropriate diet and physical activity are vital determinants of psychophysical development in children and adolescents. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to analyse an association between dietary habits and physical activity levels of adolescents from post-grammar schools. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 110 girls and 65 boys between 16 and 19 years of age from two post-grammar schools in Biala Podlaska in Poland. They were subjected to a diagnostic survey providing information on their diet (number of meals a day, their regularity, frequency of bread, dairy, meat, fish, sweet, fruit, vegetable and fast food consumption, preferred ways of food processing). Physical activity levels were determined with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire--Short Form (IPAQ-SF). Based on these data, the respondents were stratified to high, moderate and low physical activity groups. Due to small number of participants presenting with low physical activity levels, we did not include this group in further analyses. The significance of differences in the dietary habits of adolescents presenting with high and moderate physical activity levels was verified with the χ2 test. RESULTS: Most girls and boys presented with high levels of physical activity. However, we did not find an evident relationship between dietary habits and physical activity levels. Girls from high and moderate physical activity groups differed solely in terms of the number of daily meals, frequency of meat and sweet consumption, and significant intergroup differences observed among boys pertained to the frequencies of whole-wheat bread, meat and fast food consumption. The abovementioned food products were consumed more often by girls and boys presenting with high physical activity levels. CONCLUSIONS: The dietary mistakes observed in physically active adolescents from post-secondary schools justify intensification of their dietary education programs.

The timing of sexual maturation among boys and girls in eastern Poland, 1980-2000: a rural-urban comparison.

The aim of this study was to determine secular changes in the sexual maturation of children and adolescents from Eastern regions of Poland between 1980 and 2000, with special attention paid to rural-urban differences. Our sample comprised 34,055 girls and 28,100 boys from 9 to 18 years of age. The age at which each gender reached each stage of sexual maturation was examined, along with menarcheal age in girls. An increase in the rate of sexual maturation was observed over the 20-year period of this study. Menarcheal age in girls decreased by 0.59 years. The length of sexual maturation decreased: from 6.58 years to 3.85 years in girls and from 5.84 years to 3.65 years in boys. A significantly faster rate of sexual maturation was observed between 1990 and 2000. Over the entire 20-year period, adolescents living in rural settings experienced a slower rate of sexual maturation than did their urban peers.

[Body fat in children and youth in the light of some social variables]. / Otluszczenie dzieci i mlodziezy w swietle niektórych zmiennych spolecznych.

Obesity in Poland like in other industrial countries is a serious problem. It is a result of energy transformation homeostatic disorder that brings about growth of fatty tissue mass. The aim of the research was to estimate the influence of some social variables on the level of body fat in rural children and youth. In 1998 and 1999 1333 boys and 1345 girls from chosen at random rural primary and secondary schools from Podlasie were examined. The research involved children and youth aged 7-19 in whom the following measurements of fatty skin folds were done: on biceps and triceps of the arm, on the subscula, on the abdomen, on the supraillium and on the calf. The percentage of fatty tissue in the whole body mass was estimated using the method introduced by Slaughter and coworkers in 1988. Moreover there was an environmental research done from which the following information was obtained: the birth date of every child, education of mother and father and number of children in the family. On the basis of the data received from the questionnaire boys and girls from every age category were divided into groups with primary, secondary and higher education of mother and father. However taking into consideration the number of children in the families the following groups of boys and girls were distinguished: those coming from families with one or two children, those coming from families with three or four children and those coming from families with many children. The dependence upon individual environmental factors on the level of body fat was estimated using factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA). On the basis of the analysis of the result it can be pointed out that the number of children in the family was the crucial criterion of material differentiation with reference to both boys and girls. The biggest level of body fat was described with those examined that came from families with one or two children.