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Adiposity and TV viewing are related to less bone accrual in young children

Karen S Wosje1, Philip R Khoury, Randal P Claytor

  • 1Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039, USA. karen.wosje@cchmc.org

The Journal of Pediatrics
|August 12, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Higher childhood adiposity and increased screen time are linked to reduced bone development in preschoolers. Physical activity did not show a significant association with bone gains in this longitudinal study.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Bone Biology
  • Childhood Obesity

Background:

  • Childhood bone mass accrual is critical for lifelong skeletal health.
  • Factors influencing bone development in early life require further investigation.
  • Understanding the impact of lifestyle on pediatric bone health is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between baseline fat mass and subsequent bone area and mass gain in preschoolers.
  • To explore the influence of physical activity and television (TV) viewing on bone accrual.
  • To examine these relationships over a 4-year prospective period.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 214 children from ages 3 to 7 years.
  • Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) used for bone, fat, and lean mass assessment.
  • Physical activity measured by accelerometer; TV viewing by parent checklist.

Main Results:

  • Greater baseline fat mass was significantly associated with smaller gains in bone area and mass (P < .001).
  • Increased TV viewing correlated with reduced bone area and mass accrual, independent of race, sex, and height.
  • Accelerometer-measured physical activity was not significantly associated with bone gains.

Conclusions:

  • Preschooler adiposity is negatively related to bone accrual.
  • Higher levels of TV viewing are associated with diminished bone development in early childhood.
  • These findings highlight potential modifiable lifestyle factors affecting pediatric bone health.
Abstract

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