Age-and Gender-Specific Reference Values of Bone Mineral Density in Korean Adolescents and Young Adults

Kim Shin Hye; Park Mi Jung; Kim Duk Hee

Background: Low bone mass during growth may increase risk of fracture. Adequate reference data for bone mineral density (BMD) are needed to identify adolescents with bone deficit.

Objective and hypotheses: We aimed to provide normative values and reference curves for BMD in Korean adolescents and young adults.

Method: Using the data from Korean Nutrition Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) in 2008–2011, a total of 3352 subjects (1635 males and 1717 females aged 10–25 years), were included for this study. BMD were measured using dual X-ray absorptiometry at lumbar spine (LS), total body (TB), TB less than head (TBLH), total hip (TH), and femoral neck (FN). Age-related reference curves for BMD were generated using the LMS statistical procedure.

Results: The BMD increased with age in both genders (P<0.0001), and reached a plateau at ages 16–17 in males and at age 15 in females. Peak BMD velocities occurred at ages 13–14 in males; at ages 11–12 in females. Peak bone mass (PBM) of all study regions was achieved by the age of 21 and 19 in males and females, respectively. BMD in LS, TB, and TBLH was maintained until the age of 25, whereas decrease in BMD was noted in TH and FN from the age of 23 and 22 in males and females, respectively (Table 1).

**Table 1.** Lumbar spine BMD: LMS values and −2S.D. (z-score) by age and gender.
	Male (n=1574)					Female (n=1647)
	LMS parameters and −2S.D. (z-score)					LMS parameters and −2S.D. (z-score)
Age year (n)	L	M	S	−2S.D.	Age year (n)	L	M	S	−2S.D.
10 (119)	0.068	0.577	0.133	0.441	10 (106)	0.560	0.643	0.150	0.463
11 (123)	0.226	0.630	0.135	0.477	11 (113)	0.588	0.710	0.144	0.518
12 (131)	0.380	0.687	0.136	0.515	12 (95)	0.616	0.774	0.139	0.571
13 (110)	0.516	0.749	0.137	0.557	13 (120)	0.640	0.828	0.134	0.617
14 (139)	0.624	0.810	0.137	0.600	14 (100)	0.656	0.869	0.129	0.655
15 (101)	0.701	0.861	0.136	0.638	15 (84)	0.661	0.899	0.125	0.684
16 (90)	0.743	0.901	0.133	0.669	16 (97)	0.659	0.920	0.121	0.706
17 (100)	0.754	0.929	0.131	0.695	17 (90)	0.648	0.934	0.119	0.722
18 (83)	0.746	0.951	0.128	0.716	18 (64)	0.625	0.942	0.116	0.733
19 (92)	0.731	0.968	0.125	0.735	19 (116)	0.587	0.948	0.115	0.741
20 (45)	0.719	0.984	0.122	0.752	20 (87)	0.531	0.952	0.113	0.747
21 (55)	0.712	0.997	0.120	0.767	21 (106)	0.451	0.955	0.113	0.753
22 (102)	0.712	1.005	0.117	0.778	22 (102)	0.352	0.957	0.112	0.758
23 (101)	0.721	1.007	0.115	0.784	23 (122)	0.241	0.957	0.111	0.762
24 (78)	0.735	1.006	0.113	0.786	24 (134)	0.123	0.957	0.110	0.766
25 (105)	0.754	1.003	0.111	0.787	25 (111)	0.001	0.957	0.109	0.770

Conclusion: This reference values for BMD can be used to assess and monitor the bone health in Korean adolescents and youth.

ESPE Abstracts

P2-D2-304