Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: May | Volume: 9 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 1-8
Assessment of Nutritional Intake and Bone Mineral Density in College-Going Young Adults
Dr. Manjulauppal1, Karamjeet Kaur2
1Associate Professor and HOD, Department of Zoology, S.L.Bawa DAV College, Batala, India.
2Project Fellow, Department of Zoology, S.L.Bawa DAV College, Batala, India.
Corresponding Author: Dr. Manjulauppal
ABSTRACT
Background: Bone health is an important concern because of a great increase in longevity and bone related issues faced later in life. To ensure a healthy bone structure the younger populations have to be assessed for a timely intervention to improve the bone health to avoid the associated morbidities later in life.
Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted in year 2016-17 at local colleges in and around Batala town of distt. Gurdaspur, Punjab. The data was obtained using interview schedule to acquire information regarding nutritional intake and anthropometric measurements were taken. Bone health was measured through bone densitometer.
Results: Stratification of data on gender basis, although revealed a significantly higher intake of nutritional components in males compared to females but energy intake was lower than the recommended dietary allowances while consumption of protein, calcium and phosphorous was higher than recommended level in both groups whereas calcium-phosphorous ratio was lesser. Mean values of anthropometric variables (height, weight, waist circumference and hip circumference) and obesity indicators (BMI, WC, WHR and WHtR) were significantly higher in males than females. T-score and Z-score for bone density indicated a significantly higher mean in males. Osteopenia and osteoporosis was much pronounced in females (44.9%; 6.4%) than males (37.5%; 5.1%).
Conclusion: Male respondents were better in their nutritional intake, anthropometric parameters and indices as well as in the bone density measurements. Energy, fat, phosphorus, waist circumference, hip circumference had significant positive correlation with T-score. Energy, carbohydrate, phosphorous and waist height ratio was positively correlated with Z-score and height was negatively correlated with a significant difference.
Key words: Bone mineral density, Quantitative ultrasound bone densitometer, Nutritional intake, Anthropometric variables.