Association Between Vegetarian Diet and Bone Mineral Density Assessed by Quantitative Ultrasound in Young Adult Women

OBJECTIVES: The association between vegetarian dietary patterns and bone health remains inconsistent, particularly in young adult populations. This study aimed to investigate the association between adherence to a vegetarian dietary pattern and bone mineral density (BMD) in a sample of young adult women. METHODS: The study included 648 young adult women from Slovakia (67 reporting adherence to a vegetarian diet and 581 omnivores). BMD was assessed using quantitative ultrasonography. Baseline demographic and lifestyle information was collected using a structured questionnaire. Linear regression analyses were applied to examine independent associations between dietary pattern and BMD. RESULTS: Women reporting adherence to a vegetarian diet exhibited significantly higher speed of sound (SOS) at the radius (4111.0 ± 124.7 vs. 4068.4 ± 111.2 m/s; p = 0.017) and higher z-score (0.09 ± 1.29 vs. -0.27 ± 1.09; p = 0.036) compared with omnivorous women. In linear regression analyses, adherence to a vegetarian dietary pattern was independently associated with higher SOS and z-score values, whereas smoking status, physical activity, and body weight were not retained in the final models. CONCLUSIONS: Women reporting adherence to a vegetarian dietary pattern exhibited higher SOS and z-score values at the radius compared with their omnivorous peers. These findings suggest that adherence to a vegetarian dietary pattern is associated with differences in bone characteristics in young adult women

Body mass index · Bone density · Bone mineral · Cross-sectional study · Linear regression · Omnivore · Regression analysis · Young adult · Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact · Bone health and osteoporosis research · Nutritional Studies and Diet

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