Title:

Bone Integrity and Cardiovasular Physical Activity in College Students Aged 18-24

Objective: Research suggests that physical activity is positively correlated with bone integrity. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between bone integrity and daily activity levels in a population aged 18-24. Methods: Data from an ongoing cross-sectional study at a northeastern public university were collected between 2005-2018 used to gather the information to answer this research question. The final sample size was n=3385 after excluding those with missing data points. Physical activity was measured through 7-day step records via a research pedometer. Participants were categorized <5000, 5000-7499, 7500-9999, and >10000 steps/day. Bone integrity was measured via ultrasound analyzer on both heels and averaged. Analysis were conducted by ANCOVA while controlling for smoking status, calcium supplementation, and family history of osteoporosis. Results: Students with >10000 steps/day had higher average bone ultrasound attenuation (87.1 +/- 18.5) compared to the 5000-7499 (85.4 +/- 18.9, p<0.05) and 7500-9999 (85.4 +/- 19.3, p<0.05) groups. The <5000 group had significantly lower bone integrity (83.1 +/- 21.1) compared to the >10000 group (p< 0.05). There were no other significant differences between groups. Conclusions: These findings suggest regular daily activity promotes bone health among college students as compared to those with lower levels of activity and are consistent with other research showing a positive relationship between physical activity and bone integrity in younger and older populations. Funding Source: New Hampshire Agriculture Experiment Station and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Health Project.

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