Factors associated with bone mineral density in healthy African women.

ABSTRACT: There is a paucity of normative bone mineral density (BMD) data in healthy African women. Baseline total hip and lumbar spine BMD was measured in premenopausal women. BMD distribution was comparable to that of a reference population and was impacted by several factors including contraception and duration of lactation.Normative data on bone mineral density (BMD) and the cumulative impact of lactation, contraceptive use, and other factors on BMD in healthy African women have not been well studied.The objective of this study was to determine the factors associated with BMD in healthy premenopausal women in Uganda and Zimbabwe.Baseline total hip (TH) and lumbar spine (LS) BMD was measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry in 518 healthy, premenopausal black women enrolling in VOICE, an HIV-1 chemoprevention trial, at sites in Uganda and Zimbabwe. Contraceptive and lactation histories, physical activity assessment, calcium intake, and serum vitamin D levels were assessed. Independent factors associated with BMD were identified using an analysis of covariance model.The study enrolled 331 women from Zimbabwe and 187 women from Uganda. Median age was 29 years (IQR 25, 32) and median body mass index (BMI) was 24.8 kg/m(2) (IQR 22.2, 28.6). In univariate analyses, lower TH BMD values were associated with residence in Uganda (p?

SUBMITTER: Mgodi NM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4564062 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature