Birth weight could influence bone mineral contents of 10- to 18-year-old Korean adolescents: Results from the korea national health and nutrition examination survey (KNHANES) 2010

Background: We investigate the relationship between birth weight (BW) and bone mineral content (BMC) in Korean adolescents. Methods: Data were obtained from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2010. Baseline characteristics were compared according to age- and sex-specific BMC quartiles of total body less head (TBLH), lumbar spine (LS) and femur neck (FN) in 10- to 18-year-old adolescents (male = 474, female = 394). Results: BW showed a positive correlation with current weight-SDS (p = 0.006 in males, p = 0.008 in females). BW according to TBLH-BMC quartile groups (p for trend <0.003 in males, <0.0001 in females), LS-BMC quartile groups (p for trend <0.034 in males) and FN-BMC quartile groups (p for trend <0.008 in males, <0.020 in females) showed significant differences. The odds ratio (OR) of being in the highest BMC quartile, per 1-kg increase in BW, was significantly increased in TBLH-BMC (OR = 2.14 in males, OR = 3.26 in >16-year-old adolescents) and FN-BMC (OR = 2.62 in males, OR = 3.06 in >16-year-old adolescents) after adjusting for age, height, smoking, drinking, metabolic equivalent of task, and gestational age. Conclusion: BW might be one of the determinant factors of BMC in Korean adolescents.