title: Higher amounts of body fat are associated with inadequate intakes of calcium and vitamin D in African American women.
abstract: Calcium and vitamin D are associated with obesity. We hypothesized that African American women with higher calcium and vitamin D intakes would have lower body fat compared with women with lower calcium and vitamin D intakes. This cross-sectional study included 100 premenopausal African American women aged 18 to 40 years with a spectrum of body mass indices (17.3-46.7 kg/m(2)). Dietary information was obtained using 24-h recalls. Total body fat was determined by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and reported as percentage body fat (%BF). Subjects' data were divided into 2 groups (n = 50 per group) based on the median quartile of %BF, and differences were determined using independent t tests. Women with at least 37.9%BF had mean calcium (mg per day ± SD) and vitamin D intakes (µg per day ± SD) of 528.6 ± 146.0 and 3.8 ± .9, respectively. In comparison, women with lower %BF (<37.9%) had higher (P < .001) calcium and vitamin D intakes of 911.5 ± 208.3 and 5.0 ± 0.8, respectively. Partial correlation coefficients (controlling for the confounding variables of fat, carbohydrate, and protein intakes) indicated significant (P < 0.001) inverse associations between calcium intake and %BF (r = -.666), and vitamin D and %BF (r = -.460) in the 100 women. In conclusion, women with lower intakes of calcium and vitamin D were more likely to exhibit excessive adiposity compared with women with higher intakes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion, PO Box 9805, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA. ditdwell@fsnhp.msstate.edu
authors.forename: Diane K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Tidwell
authors.forename: Melinda W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Valliant
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D001823:Body Composition; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D018977:Micronutrients; D014807:Vitamin D