Relationship between nutritional profile, measures of adiposity, and bone mineral density in postmenopausal Saudi women.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis remains a major health problem in all developed countries and is a condition in which several dietary factors have been implicated.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the nutritional status and levels of adiposity of postmenopausal women in relation to bone mineral density.

DESIGN: A cross-sectional study in which dietary intake was estimated by a food frequency questionnaire in 300 Saudi postmenopausal women aged 46-88 years. Bone profile biochemistry (serum calcium, phosphate, parathyroid hormone [PTH], vitamin D) and bone mineral density (BMD) in 3 skeletal sites were determined for all participants.

RESULTS: Overweight and obesity were highly prevalent among the study population. No significant correlation was found between dietary calcium and vitamin D and bone mass at any site. Dietary intake of calcium and vitamin D was significantly less than the recommended levels for a large proportion of the cohort. Energy-adjusted intakes of carbohydrates, fat, protein, and unsaturated fatty acids were associated with BMD in the postmenopausal women. Age, body weight, and residency type were predictors of BMD at all sites. Serum-intact PTH was a predictor of BMD at lumbar spine and femoral neck. Waist : hip ratio (WHR) was a predictor for BMD at femoral neck.

CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that BMD is influenced by dietary factors other than calcium and vitamin D. However, nondietary factors such as age, WHR, PTH, and body weight may be important determinants of BMD in postmenopausal women.