Effect of Lactation on Bone Mineral Density Later in Life in Turkish Women*

Materials and Methods: Eighty-seven premenopausal and 18 postmenopausal Turkish women were classified into four groups according to age. Age, height, weight, menopausal status, age at menopause (in postmenopausal women), years since menopause (in postmenopausal woman), parity and total lactation period were recorded. Lumbar spine BMD (L2-L4) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). In each group, correlations of lactation with BMD were investigated using Pearson correlation test, and multiple regression analyses were used to determine the factors associated with BMD.