Underprivileged adolescent girls in Pune, India, were shorter and lighter, and had reduced lean body mass (LBM) compared with relatively 'well off' age-matched South Asian and white Caucasian girls in the UK. Pune girls had low bone mass for projected bone area (BA) in comparison to their UK counterparts, but they had the appropriate amount of bone mineral content (BMC) for their LBM.
Purpose: To determine whether adolescent girls from a low socioeconomic group in Pune, India, who had low dietary calcium intake (449 mg/day; range 356-538 mg/day) and hypovitaminosis D (median serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D 23.4 nmol/l; range 13.5-31.9 nmol/l), would have lower lumbar spine (LS) bone mineral apparent density (BMAD), and total body (TB) BMC adjusted for LBM.
Methods: Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to measure TB and LS BMC, BA and TB LBM in 50 postmenarcheal girls in Pune. These variables were compared with data from 34 South Asian and 82 white Caucasian age-matched girls in the UK.
Results: Pune girls were shorter and lighter, and had less LBM for height, compared to both UK groups, and they had later age of menarche than UK Asians. BA-adjusted TB BMC and LS BMAD were lower in Pune girls (mean+/-SE 1,778+/-17 g; 0.332+/-0.005 g/cm(3)), compared to the UK South Asians (mean+/-SE 1,864+/-18 g; 0.355+/-0.006 g/cm(3)) and UK white Caucasians (mean+/-SE 1,864+/-13 g; 0.345+/-0.004 g/cm(3)). In contrast both LS and TB BMC adjusted for TB LBM were not significantly different between the groups.
Conclusion: Pune girls had low bone mass for projected BA relative to UK South Asian and white Caucasian girls, but had the appropriate amount of BMC for their LBM.