Association of Short-Term Changes in Menstrual Frequency, Medication Use, Weight and Exercise on Bone Mineral Density in College-Aged Women

Stacie H. Fleischer, Annalisa K. Freire, Katie Brown, Andrew Creer, Dennis L. Eggett and Susan Fullmer ()
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Stacie H. Fleischer: Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science, College of Life Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
Annalisa K. Freire: Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science, College of Life Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
Katie Brown: Department of Nutrition, Dietetics & Food Sciences, College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
Andrew Creer: Department of Statistics, College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
Dennis L. Eggett: Department of Exercise Science & Outdoor Recreation, College of Science, Utah Valley University, Orem, UT 84058, USA
Susan Fullmer: Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science, College of Life Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 16, 1-15

Abstract: To evaluate if experiencing a short-term exposure (18-months) to factors such as menstrual irregularities, dieting, changes in exercise or body weight, and medication usage is associated with bone mineral density (BMD) in college-aged females. A retrospective survey assessing health behaviors during a recent 18-month time period and a DXA scan were completed in 641 females. A total of 45.5% of participants reported amenorrhea during the 18-month time period. Those who experienced amenorrhea had lower femoral neck BMD ( p = 0.018), trochanter ( p = 0.018) and spine BMD ( p = 0.022) compared to eumenorrheic women. Lifetime oral contraceptive usage longer than six months was negatively associated with BMD at femoral neck ( p = 0.018) and total hip ( p = 0.021). Women who lost weight trended towards having the lowest BMD at all sites compared to women who gained weight. Following a very-low calorie diet during the time period was negatively correlated with spine BMD ( p = 0.001). Time spent in vigorous and very vigorous activity was weakly correlated with some hip BMD sites but time spent in extremely vigorous activity was not. In conclusion, females who experienced weight loss, amenorrhea, or a very low-calorie diet within an 18-month period of time in young adulthood had lower BMD. Additionally, oral contraceptive usage for longer than six months during their lifetime was associated with lower BMD.

Keywords: bone mineral density; BMD; oral contraceptives; amenorrhea; weight loss; calorie restriction; young adult; women; visceral adipose tissue (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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