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Bone mineral accrual and gain in skeletal width in pre-pubertal school children is independent of the mode of school transportation - one-year data from the prospective observational pediatric osteoporosis prevention (POP) study.

Alwis, Gayani LU ; Lindén, Christian LU ; Denker, Magnus ; Stenevi Lundgren, Susanna LU ; Gardsell, Per and Karlsson, Magnus LU (2007) In BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 8(1). p.66-66
Abstract
Background: Walking and cycling to school could be an important regular source of physical activity in growing children. The aim of this 12 months prospective observational study was thus to evaluate the effect of self-transportation to school on bone mineral accrual and gain in bone width in pre-pubertal children, both traits independently contributing to bone strength. Methods: Ninety-seven girls and 133 boys aged 7-9 years were recruited as a part of the Malmo Pediatric Osteoporosis Prevention (POP) Study in order to evaluate the influence of self-selected school transportation for the accrual of bone mineral and bone width. Children who walked or cycled to school were compared with children who went by bus or car. Bone mineral content... (More)
Background: Walking and cycling to school could be an important regular source of physical activity in growing children. The aim of this 12 months prospective observational study was thus to evaluate the effect of self-transportation to school on bone mineral accrual and gain in bone width in pre-pubertal children, both traits independently contributing to bone strength. Methods: Ninety-seven girls and 133 boys aged 7-9 years were recruited as a part of the Malmo Pediatric Osteoporosis Prevention (POP) Study in order to evaluate the influence of self-selected school transportation for the accrual of bone mineral and bone width. Children who walked or cycled to school were compared with children who went by bus or car. Bone mineral content (BMC) was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in the lumbar spine (L2-L4), third lumbar vertebra (L3) and hip, and bone width was calculated at L3 and femoral neck (FN). Changes during the first 12 months were compared between the groups. Subjective duration of physical activity was estimated by a questionnaire and objective level of everyday physical activity at follow-up by accelerometers worn for four consecutive days. All children remained in Tanner stage 1 throughout the study. Comparisons were made by independent student's t-tests between means, ANCOVA and Fisher's exact tests. Results: There were no differences in baseline or annual changes in BMC or bone width when the transportation groups were compared. No differences were detected in objectively measured daily level of physical activity by accelerometer. All children reached above 60 minutes of moderate to intense daily physical activity per day, the international recommended level of daily physical activity according to the United Kingdom Expert Consensus Group. Conclusion: The everyday physical activity in these pre-pubertal children seems to be so high that the school transportation contributes little to their total level of physical activity. As a result, the choice of school transportation seems not to influence the accrual of bone mineral or gain in bone size during a I2-month follow-up period. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
accrual pre-pubertal osteoporosis prevention POP
in
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
volume
8
issue
1
pages
66 - 66
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • wos:000249079700001
  • scopus:34548127009
ISSN
1471-2474
DOI
10.1186/1471-2474-8-66
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2c77389a-d7e2-4429-b179-edb4b9236364 (old id 540824)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=17625016&dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 09:23:33
date last changed
2022-01-29 17:38:33
@article{2c77389a-d7e2-4429-b179-edb4b9236364,
  abstract     = {{Background: Walking and cycling to school could be an important regular source of physical activity in growing children. The aim of this 12 months prospective observational study was thus to evaluate the effect of self-transportation to school on bone mineral accrual and gain in bone width in pre-pubertal children, both traits independently contributing to bone strength. Methods: Ninety-seven girls and 133 boys aged 7-9 years were recruited as a part of the Malmo Pediatric Osteoporosis Prevention (POP) Study in order to evaluate the influence of self-selected school transportation for the accrual of bone mineral and bone width. Children who walked or cycled to school were compared with children who went by bus or car. Bone mineral content (BMC) was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in the lumbar spine (L2-L4), third lumbar vertebra (L3) and hip, and bone width was calculated at L3 and femoral neck (FN). Changes during the first 12 months were compared between the groups. Subjective duration of physical activity was estimated by a questionnaire and objective level of everyday physical activity at follow-up by accelerometers worn for four consecutive days. All children remained in Tanner stage 1 throughout the study. Comparisons were made by independent student's t-tests between means, ANCOVA and Fisher's exact tests. Results: There were no differences in baseline or annual changes in BMC or bone width when the transportation groups were compared. No differences were detected in objectively measured daily level of physical activity by accelerometer. All children reached above 60 minutes of moderate to intense daily physical activity per day, the international recommended level of daily physical activity according to the United Kingdom Expert Consensus Group. Conclusion: The everyday physical activity in these pre-pubertal children seems to be so high that the school transportation contributes little to their total level of physical activity. As a result, the choice of school transportation seems not to influence the accrual of bone mineral or gain in bone size during a I2-month follow-up period.}},
  author       = {{Alwis, Gayani and Lindén, Christian and Denker, Magnus and Stenevi Lundgren, Susanna and Gardsell, Per and Karlsson, Magnus}},
  issn         = {{1471-2474}},
  keywords     = {{accrual
pre-pubertal
osteoporosis
prevention
POP}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{66--66}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders}},
  title        = {{Bone mineral accrual and gain in skeletal width in pre-pubertal school children is independent of the mode of school transportation - one-year data from the prospective observational pediatric osteoporosis prevention (POP) study.}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/5312063/626067.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/1471-2474-8-66}},
  volume       = {{8}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}