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. 2023 Oct 6;81:180. doi: 10.1186/s13690-023-01190-4

Table 1.

Characteristics of the study population by bone mineral density quartiles in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011–2018

Characteristic Total bone mineral density
Q1
≤ 1.03
Q2
1.04–1.10
Q3
1.11–1.17
Q4
≥ 1.18
P-value
No 2806 2805 2798 2818
Gender, n (%) < 0.001
Male 920 (32.79) 1253 (44.67) 1551 (55.43) 1998 (70.90)
Female 1886 (67.21) 1552 (55.33) 1247 (44.57) 820 (29.10)
Age (mean ± SD, year) 38.93 ± 13.45 36.66 ± 12.24 36.62 ± 11.70 36.72 ± 11.76 < 0.001
Race, n (%) < 0.001
Mexican American 538 (19.17) 437 (15.58) 463 (16.55) 301 (10.68)
Non-Hispanic White 888 (31.65) 1012 (36.08) 972 (34.74) 842 (29.88)
Non-Hispanic Black 278 (9.91) 427 (15.22) 607 (21.69) 1090 (38.68)
Other Race 1102 (39.27) 929 (33.12) 756 (27.02) 585 (20.76)
Marital status, n (%) < 0.001
Married/ cohabiting 1560 (55.60) 1591 (56.72) 1543 (55.15) 1470 (52.16)
Widowed/divorced/separated 412 (14.68) 322 (11.48) 319 (11.40) 327 (11.60)
Never married 552 (19.67) 664 (23.67) 719 (25.70) 795 (28.21)
Unclear 282 (10.05) 228 (8.13) 217 (7.76) 226 (8.02)
Education, n (%) < 0.001
Under high school 538 (19.17) 476 (16.97) 481 (17.19) 408 (14.48)
High school or equivalent 545 (19.42) 526 (18.75) 582 (20.80) 585 (20.76)
Above high school 1441 (51.35) 1574 (56.11) 1518 (54.25) 1599 (56.74)
Unclear 282 (10.05) 229 (8.16) 217 (7.76) 226 (8.02)
PIR, n (%) 0.042
≤ 1.26 813 (28.97) 730 (26.02) 748 (26.73) 704 (24.98)
1.27–3.24 822 (29.29) 831 (29.63) 851 (30.41) 836 (29.67)
≥ 3.25 936 (33.36) 1001 (35.69) 962 (34.38) 1052 (37.33)
Unclear 235 (8.37) 243 (8.66) 237 (8.47) 226 (8.02)
BMI (mean ± SD, kg/m 2 ) 26.87 ± 6.40 28.18 ± 6.72 28.99 ± 6.84 29.79 ± 6.63 < 0.001
Activity, n (%) < 0.001
Active 1716 (61.15) 1555 (55.44) 1466 (52.39) 1430 (50.75)
Less active 171 (6.09) 197 (7.02) 228 (8.15) 204 (7.24)
Inactive 913 (32.54) 1044 (37.22) 1097 (39.21) 1177 (41.77)
Unclear 6 (0.21) 9 (0.32) 7 (0.25) 7 (0.25)
MET scores (median, IQR) 120.00 (60.00-257.50) 130.00 (60.00-300.00) 150.00 (60.00-360.00) 180.00 (80.00-360.00) < 0.001
Smoking, n (%) < 0.001
Never 898 (32.00) 946 (33.73) 808 (28.88) 861 (30.55)
Former 196 (6.99) 196 (6.99) 232 (8.29) 232 (8.23)
Current 270 (9.62) 288 (10.27) 335 (11.97) 324 (11.50)
Unclear 1442 (51.39) 1375 (49.02) 1423 (50.86) 1401 (49.72)
Alcohol, n (%) < 0.001
Yes 1675 (59.69) 1860 (66.31) 1975 (70.59) 2071 (73.49)
No 37 (1.32) 42 (1.50) 64 (2.29) 44 (1.56)
Unclear 1094 (38.99) 903 (32.19) 759 (27.13) 703 (24.95)
Hypertension, n (%) < 0.001
Yes 650 (23.16) 591 (21.07) 666 (23.80) 815 (28.92)
No 2156 (76.84) 2214 (78.93) 2132 (76.20) 2003 (71.08)
Diabetes, n (%) 0.045
Yes 270 (9.62) 278 (9.91) 265 (9.47) 324 (11.50)
No 2536 (90.38) 2527 (90.09) 2533 (90.53) 2494 (88.50)
Thyroid disease, n (%) < 0.001
Yes 235 (8.37) 168 (5.99) 143 (5.11) 108 (3.83)
No 2284 (81.40) 2401 (85.60) 2435 (87.03) 2481 (88.04)
Unclear 287 (10.23) 236 (8.41) 220 (7.86) 229 (8.13)
Vitamin D intake (median (IQR), mcg) 3.00 (1.45–5.45) 3.25 (1.55–5.80) 3.25 (1.55–5.80) 3.50 (1.65–6.30) 0.002
Vitamin D supplements (median (IQR), (mcg) 25.00 (10.00–35.00) 25.00 (10.00–35.00) 20.00 (10.05-30.00) 20.00 (10.00-26.48) 0.736
Calcium intake (median (IQR), mg) 792.50 (536.50-1087.25) 834.50 (570.50-1156.25) 876.50 (612.00-1226.75) 921.25 (636.50-1274.50) < 0.001
Calcium supplements (median (IQR), mg) 333.00 (200.00-535.00) 220.00 (200.00-500.00) 220.00 (200.00-500.00) 210.00 (200.00-500.00) < 0.001
Vitamin D (mean ± SD, nmol/L) 60.85 ± 26.00 59.97 ± 24.29 59.62 ± 24.26 58.70 ± 24.31 0.015
Total calcium (mean ± SD, mg/dL) 9.37 ± 0.37 9.37 ± 0.34 9.37 ± 0.34 9.40 ± 0.35 0.006
ALT (median (IQR), U/L) 20.00 (15.00–28.00) 20.00 (15.00–28.00) 21.00 (16.00–30.00) 21.00 (16.00–30.00) 0.026
Total Cholesterol (mean ± SD, mg/dL) 191.63 ± 39.68 188.38 ± 41.21 187.19 ± 39.61 185.22 ± 41.59 < 0.001
Serum uric acid (mean ± SD, mg/dL) 5.00 ± 1.30 5.21 ± 1.34 5.41 ± 1.39 5.67 ± 1.39 < 0.001
Visceral fat mass (median (IQR),kg) 0.44 (0.26–0.66) 0.42 (0.26–0.62) 0.43 (0.27–0.62) 0.40 (0.25–0.59) < 0.001
Lean body mass (mean ± SD,kg) 44.10 ± 10.40 49.30 ± 11.35 53.22 ± 11.58 59.67 ± 12.16 < 0.001
Log LM/VFM 2.00 (1.85–2.19) 2.06 (1.91–2.25) 2.09 (1.94–2.28) 2.17 (2.02–2.35) < 0.001
Total BMD (mean ± SD,g/cm 2 ) 0.98 ± 0.05 1.08 ± 0.02 1.14 ± 0.02 1.26 ± 0.06 < 0.001

Abbreviations:

BMD bone mineral density, SD standard deviation, IQR interquartile range, PIR ratio of family income to poverty, BMI body mass index, ALT alanine aminotransferase, LM/VFM lean body mass/ visceral fat mass, MET metabolic equivalent