The evaluation of bone mineral density based on nutritional status, age, and anthropometric parameters in elderly women

Violeta Ožeraitienė¹, Violeta Būtėnaitė^{1, 2}

¹Institute of Rehabilitation, Sports Medicine, and Nursing, Vilnius University, ²National Osteoporosis Center, Lithuania

Key words: Mini Nutritional Assessment questionnaire; assessment of nutritional status; osteoporosis; osteodensitometry; anthropometrics; bone mineral density.

Summary. Objective. To examine the relationship between bone mineral density and nutritional status, age, and anthropometrical data in elderly women.

Materials and methods. A validated international nutrition-risk-screening questionnaire, the Mini Nutritional Assessment, was used for evaluation of nutrition. The Mini Nutritional Assessment is a clinical tool consisting of four items: anthropometric assessment, global evaluation, dietetic assessment, and subjective assessment. Height and body weight were measured while the participants wore indoor clothes and no shoes; mid-arm and calf circumferences were measured with tape measure. The measurements of skinfold thickness on triceps, waist, and thigh were taken with a caliper. Bone mineral density was measured at distal radius of the nondominant forearm by dual x-ray absorptiometry.

Results. Our results indicate that anthropometric parameters (height, weight, body mass index, skinfold thickness) in elderly women with osteoporosis were the smallest. It was determined that more fats and proteins are reserved in the body, the greater the bone mineral density is. The nutritional status and age had a significant influence on bone mineral density. It was determined that women with osteoporosis had a tendency for greater malnutrition risk according to Mini Nutritional Assessment. Women with osteoporosis had worse appetites and suffered from cardiovascular diseases more often.

Conclusions. It was determined that the nutritional status of elderly women, assessed by the Mini Nutritional Assessment questionnaire, reflects bone mineral density. It was found that women’s age and anthropometric data, reflecting fat reserves in the body (body mass index, skinfold thickness), are significantly related to low bone mineral density.

Correspondence to V. Būtėnaitė, Institute of rehabilitation, Sports Medicine, and Nursing, Vilnius University, Antakalnio 57, 10207 Vilnius, Lithuania. E-mail: Violeta.Butenaite@mf.vu.lt

Received 8 September 2005, accepted 19 September 2006