Determinants of peak bone mass in Chinese and Caucasian populations

SC Ho, PC Leung
Department of Community and Family Medicine, Lek Yuen Health Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong

As lifestyle and environmental factors may affect the formation of peak bone mass by as much as 20%, it is important to delineate the most effective factors and time of life, to help target health education and intervention measures. This paper aims to present existing available data on factors influencing the formation of peak bone mass in Chinese women. The discussion is written from the perspective of scientific evidence obtained from studies in Caucasian populations.

Hong Kong Med J 1995;1:38-42

Key words: Peak bone mass; Determinants; Calcium intake; Physical activity