Trends in Health Behavior of Polish Women in 1986-2021: The Importance of Socioeconomic Status

Determinants of bone mineral density in various regions of the skeleton among smokers and non-smokers: the role of physical activity

Background

The adult human skeleton is composed of cortical and cancellous bone. The proportions of these two types of bone tissue differ in various parts of the skeleton. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to quantify the determinants of bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content in various regions of interest (ROIs) in smokers and never-smokers.

Methods

In this study, 4,332 bone scans of three regions of interest (ROIs) were analyzed: the forearm (distal and proximal), femur, and lumbar spine. Body composition and bone parameters were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Smoking was measured using the Global Adult Tobacco Survey questionnaire. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated, and physical activity (PA) was characterized by the metabolic equivalent of task (MET).

Results

Among women, the interaction between PA (positive β coefficient) and smoking (negative β coefficient) was a significant predictor of BMD in the distal and proximal forearm (adj. R2 = 0.40 and R2 = 0.58; p < 0.001). The interaction of three variables-age, smoking (negative β), and MET (positive β)-was significant for total hip BMD (adj. R2 = 0.54; p < 0.001). The interaction between BMI and MET (positive β) and smoking (negative β) was significant for BMD in the lumbar spine (adj. R2 = 0.62; p < 0.001). In men, the interaction between MET (positive β) and smoking (negative β) was significant for BMD in the forearm and lumbar spine (adj. R2 = 0.44, R2 = 0.46, and R2 = 0.49; p < 0.01). Smoking alone was a significant negative predictor of total hip BMD (adj. R2 = 0.34; p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Among both women and men, never-smokers had significantly better bone parameters than smokers. Smoking was a significant negative predictor for BMD in the various ROIs in both women and men. Physical activity was a significant positive predictor of BMD, with a strong association with bone parameters.

Physical fitness and somatic structure in adolescent taekwondo athletes and untrained peers

Study aim: The purpose of the study was to assess the level of physical fitness (PF) and somatic structure in children training a Korean martial art (ITF taekwondo) and untrained peers and to determine the associations of children’s BMI with that of their parents.

Material and methods: The research material consisted of data from 135 individuals, representing 45 child-mother-father triplets, including 22 triplets with children practicing taekwondo and 23 triplets with untrained children. The children had an average chronological age of 10.08 ± 1.35 years, whereas the age of mothers and fathers was 38.09 ± 4.56 years and 40.57 ± 4.70 years, respectively. Traits analyzed included those evaluated by selected physical fitness tests from the Eurofit Physical Fitness Test battery, body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) in children, and BMI in parents. Statistical analyses included the chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Spearman’s correlations, with a significance level set at α = 0.05.

Results: The results showed no significant differences in the somatic structure, physical fitness, BMI, and WHtR in the children studied. However, a tendency was observed for children attending ITF taekwondo classes to be characterized by higher levels of physical fitness. Higher BMI was found in the parents of the trained children and positive correlations were found between the BMI of the trained children and their parents.

Conclusions: Identifying and studying the effect size of PA determinants in adolescents, with a particular focus on the influence of parents, may be the key to improving the health of future generations.