The Mediating Role of Endocrine Factors in the Positive Relationship Between Fat Mass and Bone Mineral Content in Children Aged 9-11 Years: The Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children Study.

IntroductionWe aimed to investigate whether the relationship between fat mass and bone mineral content (BMC) is mediated by insulin, leptin, adiponectin, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, testosterone and estradiol in children aged 9-11 years.Materials and MethodsWe utilised cross-sectional data from the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children study (n = 230 to 396; 112 to 203 girls). Fat mass and BMC were assessed with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Endocrine factors were assessed from fasted blood samples. We applied the novel 4-way decomposition method to analyse associations between fat mass, endocrine factors, and BMC.ResultsFat mass was positively associated with BMC in girls (ß…