Data from: Associations of bone mineral density with lean mass, fat mass, and dietary patterns in postmenopausal Chinese women: a 2-year prospective study

Objective: To assess factors associated with bone mineral density (BMD) in
postmenopausal women in a longitudinal study, and to examine the relative
contribution of lean mass, fat mass, dietary patterns, and years since
menopause to BMD. Methods: Two hundred and eighty-two postmenopausal women
were randomly selected from Hongqi Community Health Center, in Harbin
City, China. All participants were followed up from 2009 to 2011. Dietary
data were collected using a Food Frequency Questionnaire. BMD of the left
hip, the lumbar spine, and the total body, and the body composition were
measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at baseline and follow-up.
Results: Lean mass and fat mass were positively associated with BMD of the
spine, hip, and the total body at both baseline and follow-up. The
association between fat mass and BMD at the spine at baseline (P = 0.210)
and at the spine (P = 0.116) and hip (P = 0.073) in the second year was
not statistically significant when height was adjusted. Six dietary
patterns were identified but only cereal grains-fruits pattern (P = 0.001
in the spine, P = 0.037 in hip) and milk-root vegetables pattern (P =
0.010 in hip) were associated with BMD of the spine and hip. The linear
mixed model of follow-up data showed that lean mass, years since
menopause, and age of menophania were the significant determinants of BMD
of all sites. Moreover, lean mass was the best determinant of BMD (VIP =
1.936). Conclusion: Lean mass, years since menopause, age of menophania
and dietary patterns are the important determinants of BMD of the spine,
hip, and the total body. Lean mass is the best determinant of BMD.