Abstract

Author(s): José Armando VIDARTE CLAROS1, Consuelo V�?LEZ ÁLVAREZ1, Alejandro ARANGO ARENAS1, José Hernán PARRA SÁNCHEZ2

Introduction: Bone health is given by an adequate development of bone mineral content at an early age.

Objective: To determine the relationship of the Bone Mineral Density (BMD) with the sociodemographic, anthropometric variables and the practice of physical activity in Colombian schoolchildren.

Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional correlational study, 1,940 schoolchildren between 8 and 16 years old from different Colombian cities participated, a random sampling was carried out The PAQ-C physical activity questionnaire was applied in the Colombian version and the measurement of anthropometric variables which served to determine BMD supported by established prediction formulas. From the normal distribution of the variables using the Pearson statistic, the study relationships were established.

Results: The means of BMD were higher for the cities of Popayán, Pasto and Villavicencio, in men, in strata 3,2,4 and 5, for those who had had a fracture, and carried out physical activity. BMD shows a progressive increase as age increases, the increase being greater in men from 13 years of age. When relating BMD to age and sex, statistically significant differences were found for both variables, p <0.05. A direct and significant correlation was found between BMD, age, Body Mass Index (BMI) and peak growth rate (APHV) of the evaluated schoolchildren and in cities such as Manizales, Neiva, Pasto and Villavicencio there is no correlation between BMD and physical activity.

Conclusions: Knowing the relationship between BMD and variables such as age, sex, BMI and Physical activity allows establishing a diagnosis of the state of bone health of schoolchildren with the intention of establishing health promotion actions that favor the development and growth process of the schoolchildren.