LAUSR

Objective: The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between body fat distribution and bone mineral content (BMC), and gender difference among Chinese adolescents. Design and method: A total of 1575 adolescents aged 12–18 were randomly selected in China by stratified cluster sampling. BMC and body fat distribution indexes, included fat mass (FM), appendicular fat mass (AFM), and trunk fat mass (TFM), were measured by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). Results: Except for limb to total fat ratio (LTFR), girls’ FM, AFM, TFM, trunk to total fat ratio (TrTFR) and trunk to limb fat ratio (TrLFR) were higher than boys (P values < 0.05). There was a statistically significant negative correlation between LTFR and BMC (boys: r = -0.630, girls: r = -0.351), while other indexes were positively correlated with BMC (all P values < 0.05). Regression analysis revealed that the higher BMC in the fourth tertile of TrTFR was 34.23 (17.49, 67.00) times versus that of the control group in boys. Similarly, the higher BMC in the fourth tertile of TrLFR was 45.09 (5.84,348.38) times than that in the control group in girls (P value < 0.05). Conclusions: There are gender differences in the distribution of body fat in Chinese adolescents. And during this period, higher central fat mass has a positive effect on the accumulation of BMC.