The Relationship of Body Composition and Physical Activity with Bone Mineral Density in Turkish Women in Postmenopausal Stage

Objective: The effects of body components, other than body weight, on bone mineral density remain a controversial issue. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between body composition and physical activity with bone mineral density in Turkish women in postmenopausal stage. Materials and Methods: We conducted this cross-sectional study on 95 women in postmenopausal stage whose bone mineral density values were obtained from the records of Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University Hospital. We examined the relationship of body components with bone mineral density and compared them separately when the body weight was a covariant and when it was not a covariant. Results: The mean age of the participants was 61.7 +/- 7.2 years. Body mass index (r=0.270, p=0.009), waist circumference (r=0.308, p=0.003), hip circumference (r=0.277, p=0.007), fat mass (r=0.256, p=0.014), fat percentage (r=0.185, p=0.077), lean mass (r=0.311, p=0.003), total muscle mass (r=0.311, p=0.003), skeletal muscle index (r=0.260, p=0.012), appendicular lean mass index (r=0.279, p=0.007) and appendicular skeletal muscle index (r=0.280, p=0.007) correlated with bone mineral density, but none of them significantly correlated when the body weight was controlled. Both the height and waist/hip ratio were not significantly associated with the bone mineral density when the body weight was controlled and not controlled. No significant correlation was found between physical activity and bone mineral density (r=0.032, p=0.799). Conclusion: Body weight is positively correlated with bone mineral density among Turkish women at postmenopausal stage. Body components have no effects on bone mineral density except for contributing to the body weight that generate mechanical loads on bones.