The association of extreme body weight with bone mineral density in Saudi children

The objective to investigate the effect of extreme body weight; obesity and undernutrition, on bone mineral density (BMD).

This study is a descriptive cross-sectional study carried between January and June of 2019, and included 224 children and adolescents without any comorbidities or chronic disease. Important data collected included anthropometrics, past medical and surgical history, history of medication intake, level of physical activity and pubertal assessment. Data entry and analysis were conducted using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 24.

Gender distribution showed 48.2% were male and 51.8% were female. The mean age was 9.98 ± 3.5 years. Mean weight was 34.89 ± 18.2 kg. Mean BMD z-score was - 1.64 ± 1.4. Weight was considered to significantly correlate with BMD stature at a P = 0.014. Subjects who were underweight showed a lower mean BMD z-score of <-2 than those who were overweight/obese (mean BMD z-score = -1.60).

Both extremes of weight are considered a significant risk factor for the development of low BMD in children. We recommend the early recognition of weight aberrations and consequent aggressive intervention with strict lifestyle modifications to promote the development of maximum peak bone mass.