Vitamin-D nutrition and bone mass in adolescent black girls.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between bone mass and serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and parathyroid hormone in African-American adolescent girls.


METHODS
A cross-sectional sample at a suburban research center.


METHODS
Twenty-one adolescent black girls 12-14 years of age, were studied during winter with biochemical measurements of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) and parathyroid hormone (PTH). Bone mass assessment was done with dual energy x-ray absorbsiometry (DXA) and peripheral quantitative computed tomography of the radius (p-QCT). Anthropometric, physical activity and nutritional data were collected.


RESULTS
All participants were vitamin-D deficient (serum 25-OHD level <50 nmol/L), of whom nine (43%) were severely vitamin-D deficient (serum 25-OHD level <20 nmol/L). Mean daily intake of dietary calcium was 540 mg/d and vitamin D was 195 IU/d. There was a positive correlation, although statistically not significant, between serum 25-OHD and various bone mass measurements. Serum PTH was inversely correlated to total body BMD (r = -0.51, p = 0.02) and other bone mineral density at the lumbar spine, total femur and mid-radius.


CONCLUSIONS
Vitamin-D insufficiency is a widely prevalent problem among adolescent African-American girls. Our data implies that enhancing vitamin-D nutrition resulting in lower serum PTH levels could potentially influence their peak bone mass.
Talwar
Sonia A
SA
Bone Mineral Research Center, Winthrop-University Hospital, Mineola, NY, USA.
Swedler
Jane
J
Yeh
James
J
Pollack
Simcha
S
Aloia
John F
JF
D000293:Adolescent; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000208:ethnology*; D001741:Black or African American; D015519:Bone Density; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013383:Suburban Population; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*