Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences on calcified tissues
Bone Abstracts (2017) 6 P155 | DOI: 10.1530/boneabs.6.P155

1Democritus University of Thrace, Komotini, Greece; 2University of Thessaly, Trikala, Greece; 3University of Athens, Athens, Greece; 4University of Exeter, Exeter, UK; 5University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.


Objectives: Nutrition in childhood is a major factor for healthy living during adulthood. Bone mass is influenced immensely by nutritional intake, especially protein intake which is very important for bone matrix and the integrity of skeletal structure. This study aimed to identify the effects of dietary protein intake on bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC) and performance of children aged 6–12 years old.

Methods: A repeated measures design with 114 pre-adolescent (9–12 years) children (boys: N=61; girls: N=53) was employed. Children were evaluated at baseline and following 12 months. Maturity was determined with Tanner stages of sexual maturity. Participants had their body mass, body height and tibia length measured. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was used to measure body composition as well as body mineral density (BMD) and content (BMC) at hip and lumbar spine. Daily physical activity was measured (once every 6 months of the study) using accelerometry (for 7 days). Power of lower limb muscles and cardiovascular endurance were determined using long jump and shuttle run testing, respectively. 7-day diet recalls (administered once every 6 months of the study) were used to measure daily protein intake. Analysis of variance was used to compare groups of low, normal and high daily protein intake. A partial correlational analysis (adjusted for BMI) was used to correlate BMD, BMC and performance indices with protein intake.

Results: Children were assigned to a low (<1.5 g/kg body weight), normal (1.5–2.0 g/kg body weight) and high (>2.0 g/kg body weight) protein intake groups based on their daily intake recorded using dietary recalls. Normal and high protein intake groups had higher BMD, BMC whereas no significant interaction was found with performance markers in both boys and girls. Furthermore, PA was positively associated with BMD (0.68, P<0.05). A significant interaction between nutrient intake, PA and BMD was revealed with children of average and high PA and protein intake exhibiting a greater BMD than those with high PA and low protein intake independent of sex.

Conclusion: The results of this investigation suggest that protein intake may be important for growth-related bone and performance adaptations.

Disclosure: The authors declared no competing interests.

Volume 6

8th International Conference on Children's Bone Health

ICCBH 

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