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Updated: May 11, 2025
Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
Published on: January 29, 2018
Sex difference in the association between dietary iron intake and bone mineral density in adolescents aged 12-19: A
Background:
This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between dietary iron intake and bone mineral density (BMD) in adolescents, exploring how dietary iron intake and other variables collectively influence BMD.
Methods:
We analyzed data from participants aged 12-19 years in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted from 2005 to 2010. Multivariate linear regression, incorporating multiple covariates, assessed the association between dietary iron intake and BMD at the lumbar and femoral sites. The analysis was stratified by sex, with separate assessments for males and females, and examined the impact of sex on these outcomes, including interactions between dietary iron intake and BMD at both sites.
Results:
The study included 2520 adolescents. Dietary iron intake was positively correlated with BMD at the lumbar spine (β = 0.006, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = 0.001-0.011) and femoral regions (β = 0.008, 95 % CI = 0.002-0.013). However, the strength of this association differed significantly by sex. In males, dietary iron intake was positively associated with lumbar (β = 0.006, 95 % CI = 0.001-0.011) and femoral BMD (β = 0.010, 95 % CI = 0.004-0.017). In contrast, no significant correlation was observed between dietary iron intake and BMD at either site in females (P for interaction = 0.005).
Conclusion:
Our findings suggest that increased dietary iron intake is associated with higher BMD in adolescent males but not in females.
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