Association Between Phosphorus Intake and Bone Health in the NHANES Population

The objective of this study is to provide reliable estimates of independent associations between intakes of phosphorus (P) and bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD), as well as the odds ratio (OR) of osteoporosis with quartiles of P intake adjusted for covariates. Data came from males and females aged 13-99 years who participated in the 2005-2010 NHANES dietary survey, which includes a representative sample of the non-institutionalized population of the United States. Our analysis shows that higher calcium (Ca) intake levels are associated with higher P intake and that dietary Ca:P ratios (0.51-0.62, with an adult population mean of 0.60) were adequate in all age/gender groups. We adjusted for age, gender, BMI, andintakes of calcium, protein, total dairy foods, and vitamin D. Flags were used to denote use of supplemental Ca, vitamin D, and multivitamins/minerals. High consumption of P was positively associated with BMC in female teens (Q4 vs. Q1: BMC, 30.9±1.09 vs. 29.0±0.49 g, P=0.001...