Background : Osteoporosis is developed by progressive decline of bone mass resulting from a decease in collagen content of bone. Skin and bone are connectivel tissuse and, in both, the major consituent is type I collagen. The close correlation observed between bone and skin loss in a number of clinical conditions including osteoporosis suggests a common pathophysiologic mechanism. It has been postulated that skin and bone atrophy were affected by common etiologic factor, namely a decrease in type I collagen in both bone and skin. Measurement of skin thickness has been proposed to be capable of predicting low bone mineral density and the risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal woman. This cross-sectional study was undertaken to examine the factors that influence the development of skin thickness whick may be used as parameter reflecting the status of bone metabolism in young healthy adults.
Method : Ninety one young healthy adults were recruited for this study. Ultrasonic skin thickness by Osteone DCⅢ(Minhorst, Germany)were performed from the study population. Measurements of body size(height, weight, body mass index, waist-hip ratio)was performed. Date about life style factors were obtained form questionnaire.
Results: 1) Anthropometric data and level of urinary N-telopeptide between men and women were significantly different. 2) Skin thickness is thicker in men than women in young healthy adult age greoups. 3) Skin thickness that was sonographically measured show positive correlation with anthropometric data such as age, heigh, weigh, body mass index, and waist-hip ratio and negative correlation with the level of urinary N-telopeptied and the amount of daily calcium intake. 4)Multivariate model that contain variables which have significance in relation with skin thickness in bivariate analyses could explains about 34% of the variation in skin thickness.
Conclusion : This study shows that skin thickness is affected by various anthopometic factors which are also known as factors influencing bone mass. Futher study of factors affection the development of skin thickness in a wide-range study population is needed for clarifying the relationship between skin thickness and related factors.
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