Lifestyle habits associated with increased bone mass in children (with a focus on children in the early grades of elementary school).

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K01911
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Childhood science (childhood environment science)
• Research Institution: Kyorin University
• Principal Investigator: Teruya Koji 杏林大学, 保健学部, 教授 (20197817)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 音響的骨評価値 / 小学校低学年児童 / 骨量獲得因子 / 生活習慣 / 成長

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A longitudinal study of early elementary school children attempted to clarify factors related to bone mass gain in childhood by analyzing lifestyle habits such as dietary preferences, sleep and exercise that affect bone mass gain, adjusting for growth and developmental factors.
While studies of adults and adolescents found that fruit and vegetable intake and soy food intake were associated with reduced fracture risk or higher bone mass, in the present study of early elementary school children, high meat intake, increased intake of green and yellow vegetables, and high intake of milk and dairy products were found to be were confirmed to be in the direction of increasing (not decreasing) bone mass.

Free Research Field

健康科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

小学校低学年児童を対象とした縦断的な研究により、食事の嗜好、睡眠や運動などの生活習慣が骨量獲得に影響する要因について、発育・発達の要因を調整した解析を行うことで、児童期の骨量獲得に関する因子について明らかにした。
本研究において、骨量を増やす（減らさない）方向が確認された要因としては、肉類の摂取が多い、緑黄色野菜の摂取の増加、牛乳乳製品の摂取が多いことなどであった。小学校低学年児童への一般的な生活・栄養指導の一環の働きかけとして、これらの摂取を推奨することには、骨量獲得の観点からも意義があると考えられる。