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A school-curriculum-based exercise intervention program for two years in pre-pubertal girls does not influence hip
Gayani Alwis1, Christian Linden, Susanna Stenevi-Lundgren
1Clinical and Molecular Osteoporosis Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Sweden. Gayani.Alwis@med.lu.se
Dynamic Medicine : DM
|April 30, 2008
Summary
A two-year exercise program for young girls did not change hip structure. This study found no significant differences in femoral neck (FN) bone geometry between intervention and control groups.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric bone health
- Exercise science
- Osteoporosis prevention
Background:
- Physical activity during growth positively influences bone accrual, a potential strategy for osteoporosis prevention.
- Bone geometry, independent of areal bone mineral density (aBMD), impacts fracture risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effect of a two-year exercise intervention on hip structure in pre-pubertal girls.
- To determine if general physical activity influences bone geometry beyond bone mineral density.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of 42 girls (7-9 years) in an exercise program (200 min/week) versus 43 controls (60 min/week).
- Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and hip structural analysis (HSA) software used to assess femoral neck (FN) bone parameters.
- Objective physical activity measurement via accelerometers; all participants remained at Tanner stage 1.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in baseline age, anthropometrics, or bone parameters between groups.
- No significant between-group differences observed in annual changes of measured femoral neck (FN) variables.
Conclusions:
- A two-year, school-based, moderately intense general exercise program does not alter structural changes in the femoral neck (FN) of pre-pubertal girls.
- General physical activity within a school curriculum may not be sufficient to induce significant changes in hip bone geometry during early growth stages.
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