Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The influence of birth weight and length on bone mineral density and content in adolescence: The Tromsø Study, Fit Futures

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Archives of Osteoporosis Aims and scope Submit manuscript

An Erratum to this article was published on 10 July 2017

This article has been updated

Abstract

Summary

The influence of birth weight and length on bone mineral parameters in adolescence is unclear. We found a positive association between birth size and bone mineral content, attenuated by lifestyle factors. This highlights the impact of environmental stimuli and lifestyle during growth.

Purpose

The influence of birth weight and length on bone mineral density and content later in life is unclear, especially in adolescence. This study evaluated the impact of birth weight and length on bone mineral density and content among adolescents.

Methods

We included 961 participants from the population-based Fit Futures study (2010–2011). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to measure bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) at femoral neck (FN), total hip (TH) and total body (TB). BMD and BMC measures were linked with birth weight and length ascertained from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. Linear regression models were used to investigate the influence of birth parameters on BMD and BMC.

Results

Birth weight was positively associated with BMD-TB and BMC at all sites among girls; standardized β coefficients [95% CI] were 0.11 [0.01, 0.20] for BMD-TB and 0.15 [0.06, 0.24], 0.18 [0.09, 0.28] and 0.29 [0.20, 0.38] for BMC-FN, TH and TB, respectively. In boys, birth weight was positively associated with BMC at all sites with estimates of 0.10 [0.01, 0.19], 0.12 [0.03, 0.21] and 0.15 [0.07, 0.24] for FN, TH and TB, respectively. Corresponding analyses using birth length as exposure gave significantly positive associations with BMC at all sites in both sexes. The significant positive association between birth weight and BMC-TB in girls, and birth length and BMC-TB in boys remained after multivariable adjustment.

Conclusions

We found a positive association between birth size and BMC in adolescence. However, this association was attenuated after adjustment for weight, height and physical activity during adolescence.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Change history

  • 10 July 2017

    An erratum to this article has been published.

References

  1. Borgstrom F, Kanis JA (2008) Health economics of osteoporosis. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab 22(5):885–900

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Kanis JA (1993) The incidence of hip fracture in Europe. Osteoporos Int 3(Suppl 1):10–15

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Cooper C, Westlake S, Harvey N et al (2009) Developmental origins of osteoporotic fracture. Adv Exp Med Biol 639:217–236

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Rizzoli R, Bianchi ML, Garabedian M et al (2010) Maximizing bone mineral mass gain during growth for the prevention of fractures in the adolescents and the elderly. Bone 46(2):294–305

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Eisman JA (1999) Genetics of osteoporosis. Endocr Rev 20(6):788–804

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Jouanny P, Guillemin F, Kuntz C et al (1995) Environmental and genetic factors affecting bone mass. Similarity of bone density among members of healthy families. Arthritis Rheum 38(1):61–67

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Heaney RP, Abrams S, Dawson-Hughes B et al (2000) Peak bone mass. Osteoporos Int 11(12):985–1009

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Ferrari S, Rizzoli R, Slosman D et al (1998) Familial resemblance for bone mineral mass is expressed before puberty. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 83(2):358–361

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Barker DJ (1995) The fetal and infant origins of disease. Eur J Clin Investig 25(7):457–463

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Kuh D, Ben-Shlomo Y, Lynch J et al (2003) Life course epidemiology. J Epidemiol Community Health 57(10):778–783

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Steer CD, Tobias JH (2011) Insights into the programming of bone development from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Am J Clin Nutr 94(6 Suppl):1861S–1864S

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Victora CG, Adair L, Fall C et al (2008) Maternal and child undernutrition: consequences for adult health and human capital. Lancet 371(9609):340–357

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Romano T, Wark JD, Owens JA et al (2009) Prenatal growth restriction and postnatal growth restriction followed by accelerated growth independently program reduced bone growth and strength. Bone 45(1):132–141

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Jones G, Dwyer T (2000) Birth weight, birth length, and bone density in prepubertal children: evidence for an association that may be mediated by genetic factors. Calcif Tissue Int 67(4):304–308

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Ay L, Jaddoe VW, Hofman A et al (2011) Foetal and postnatal growth and bone mass at 6 months: the Generation R Study. Clin Endocrinol 74(2):181–190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Dennison EM, Syddall HE, Sayer AA et al (2005) Birth weight and weight at 1 year are independent determinants of bone mass in the seventh decade: the Hertfordshire cohort study. Pediatr Res 57(4):582–586

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Yarbrough DE, Barrett-Connor E, Morton DJ (2000) Birth weight as a predictor of adult bone mass in postmenopausal women: the Rancho Bernardo Study. Osteoporos Int 11(7):626–630

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Leunissen RW, Stijnen T, Boot AM et al (2008) Influence of birth size and body composition on bone mineral density in early adulthood: the PROGRAM study. Clin Endocrinol 69(3):386–392

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Martìnez-Mesa J, Restrepo-Mendez MC, Gonzalez DA et al (2013) Life-course evidence of birth weight effects on bone mass: systematic review and meta-analysis. Osteoporos Int 24(1):7–18

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Jones IE, Williams SM, Goulding A (2004) Associations of birth weight and length, childhood size, and smoking with bone fractures during growth: evidence from a birth cohort study. Am J Epidemiol 159(4):343–350

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Winther A, Dennison E, Ahmed LA et al (2014) The Tromso Study: Fit Futures: a study of Norwegian adolescents’ lifestyle and bone health. Arch Osteoporos 9:185

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Christoffersen T, Winther A, Nilsen OA et al (2015) Does the frequency and intensity of physical activity in adolescence have an impact on bone? The Tromso Study, Fit Futures. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil 7:26

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  23. Norwegian Institute of Public Health (2016) Medical Birth Registry of Norway. [cited 2016 9 Dec]; Available from: https://www.fhi.no/en/hn/health-registries/medical-birth-registry-of-norway/

  24. Omsland TK, Emaus N, Gjesdal CG et al (2008) In vivo and in vitro comparison of densitometers in the NOREPOS study. J Clin Densitom 11(2):276–282

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Booth ML, Okely AD, Chey T et al (2001) The reliability and validity of the physical activity questions in the WHO health behaviour in schoolchildren (HBSC) survey: a population study. Br J Sports Med 35(4):263–267

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  26. Petersen AC, Crockett L, Richards M et al (1988) A self-report measure of pubertal status: reliability, validity, and initial norms. J Youth Adolesc 17(2):117–133

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Lucas A, Fewtrell MS, Cole TJ (1999) Fetal origins of adult disease—the hypothesis revisited. BMJ 319(7204):245–249

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  28. Jensen RB, Vielwerth S, Frystyk J et al (2008) Fetal growth velocity, size in early life and adolescence, and prediction of bone mass: association to the GH-IGF axis. J Bone Miner Res 23(3):439–446

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Prentice A, Parsons TJ, Cole TJ (1994) Uncritical use of bone mineral density in absorptiometry may lead to size-related artifacts in the identification of bone mineral determinants. Am J Clin Nutr 60(6):837–842

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Saito T, Nakamura K, Okuda Y et al (2005) Weight gain in childhood and bone mass in female college students. J Bone Miner Metab 23(1):69–75

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Teegarden D, Proulx WR, Martin BR et al (1995) Peak bone mass in young women. J Bone Miner Res 10(5):711–715

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Eide MG, Oyen N, Skjaerven R et al (2005) Size at birth and gestational age as predictors of adult height and weight. Epidemiology 16(2):175–181

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Preece MA, Pan H, Ratcliffe SG (1992) Auxological aspects of male and female puberty. Acta Paediatr Suppl 383:11–13 discussion 14

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Cooper C, Harvey N, Cole Z et al (2009) Developmental origins of osteoporosis: the role of maternal nutrition. Adv Exp Med Biol 646:31–39

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Dennison EM, Arden NK, Keen RW et al (2001) Birthweight, vitamin D receptor genotype and the programming of osteoporosis. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 15(3):211–219

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Fall C, Hindmarsh P, Dennison E et al (1998) Programming of growth hormone secretion and bone mineral density in elderly men: a hypothesis. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 83(1):135–139

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Godfrey K, Walker-Bone K, Robinson S et al (2001) Neonatal bone mass: influence of parental birthweight, maternal smoking, body composition, and activity during pregnancy. J Bone Miner Res 16(9):1694–1703

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Cooper C, Eriksson JG, Forsen T et al (2001) Maternal height, childhood growth and risk of hip fracture in later life: a longitudinal study. Osteoporos Int 12(8):623–629

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. World Health Organization (2004) Low birthweight—country, regional and global estimates. [cited 2016 9 Dec]; Available from: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/43184/1/9280638327.pdf

  40. Gluckman PD, Hanson MA (2004) Living with the past: evolution, development, and patterns of disease. Science 305(5691):1733–1736

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Tuvemo T, Cnattingius S, Jonsson B (1999) Prediction of male adult stature using anthropometric data at birth: a nationwide population-based study. Pediatr Res 46(5):491–495

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the study participants, the staff at the Clinical Research Unit at the University Hospital of North Norway (UNN HF) and the Fit Futures administration for conducting the study. We thank Robert Kechter at Finnmark Hospital Trust, Carsten Rolland at the School of Sport Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, and the Garvan Institute of Medical Research for office and administration contributions. We also thank the Norwegian Osteoporosis Association for supporting paediatric software and the Northern Norway Regional Health Authorities for funding this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health and Care Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Forskningsparken, Sykehusveien 21, 9037, Tromsø, Norway

    Tore Christoffersen, Luai A. Ahmed, Ole-Andreas Nilsen & Nina Emaus

  2. Finnmark Hospital Trust, Alta, Norway

    Tore Christoffersen

  3. Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

    Luai A. Ahmed

  4. Domain for Health Data and Digitalization, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Bergen, Norway

    Anne Kjersti Daltveit & Grethe S. Tell

  5. Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

    Anne Kjersti Daltveit & Grethe S. Tell

  6. MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK

    Elaine M. Dennison

  7. School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

    Elaine M. Dennison

  8. Clinical Research Department, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway

    Elin K. Evensen

  9. Department of Community Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway

    Anne-Sofie Furberg

  10. Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway

    Anne-Sofie Furberg

  11. Children’s Health and Exercise Research Centre, Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK

    Luis Gracia-Marco & Dimitris Vlachopoulos

  12. Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development Research Group, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain

    Luis Gracia-Marco

  13. Division of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway

    Guri Grimnes

  14. Tromsø Endocrine Research Group, Department of Clinical Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway

    Guri Grimnes

  15. Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway

    Berit Schei

  16. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Olavs Hospital Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway

    Berit Schei

  17. Division of Neurosciences, Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Services, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway

    Anne Winther

Authors
  1. Tore Christoffersen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Luai A. Ahmed
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Anne Kjersti Daltveit
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Elaine M. Dennison
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Elin K. Evensen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Anne-Sofie Furberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Luis Gracia-Marco
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Guri Grimnes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Ole-Andreas Nilsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Berit Schei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Grethe S. Tell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Dimitris Vlachopoulos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  13. Anne Winther
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  14. Nina Emaus
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Study design: TC, AW, LAA and NE. Study conduct: A-SF, GG and NE. Data collection: TC, A-SF, GG, NE, O-AN and AW. Data analysis: TC, LAA and NE. Data interpretation: TC, LAA, EMD and NE. Drafting the manuscript: TC, LAA and NE. Revising the manuscript content: TC, LAA, AKD, EMD, EKE, A-SF, LG-M, GG, O-AN, BS, GST, DV, AW and NE. Approving the final version of the manuscript TC, LAA, AKD, EMD, EKE, A-SF, LG-M, GG, O-AN, BS, GST, DV, AW and NE. TC, LAA and NE take responsibility for the integrity of the data analysis.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tore Christoffersen.

Ethics declarations

The study was approved by The Norwegian Data Protection Authority (reference number 2009/1282) and by The Regional Committee of Medical and Health Research Ethics (reference number 2011/1702/REKnord).

Funding sources

The Northern Norway Regional Health Authorities (SFP1160-14) funded this study. The funders had no role in the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation or decision to submit this manuscript for publication.

Conflicts of interest

None.

Additional information

This article has been modified to reflect the correct spelling of the name of the co-author Dimitris Vlachopoulos.

An erratum to this article is available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11657-017-0358-8.

Electronic supplementary material

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Christoffersen, T., Ahmed, L.A., Daltveit, A.K. et al. The influence of birth weight and length on bone mineral density and content in adolescence: The Tromsø Study, Fit Futures. Arch Osteoporos 12, 54 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11657-017-0348-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11657-017-0348-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation