Multiparity and bone mass

Objective To investigate the influence of multiparity on bone mass of the axial skeleton in a population of women of high parity. Design Open study of Omani women. Setting Medical physics department and clinical physiology department of a third degree referral (university) hospital. Participants A consecutive series of 159 normal women referred with low back pain over a period of six months. Results The bone mineral density was measured with dual-photon absorptiometry and the mean was found to be 0.984 (+/-0.166) (+/-SD) g cm(-2). The age ranged from 20 to 70 years with a mean age of 434 (+/-12.5) years. The number of children per woman ranged from 0 to 14 with a mean of 5.1 (+/-3.5). There was no statistically significant influence of the number of children per woman on bone mineral density but there was a strong correlation with age and body size variables. Conclusion Multiparity does not influence lumbar spine bone mineral density in normal women.