Linking Dietary Nutrition, Dietary Patterns, Gut Microbiota, and Bone Density: A Cross-Sectional Study

Investigating the Effects of Diet and Gut Microecology on Bone Health in Gannan Tibetan Elementary School Students

The study aims to understand the current situation of bone health in the Gannan Tibetan primary school student population, to explore the relationship between nutrition, intestinal microorganisms and bone health, to analyze the main factors affecting bone health from the perspective of nutrition and intestinal microecology, and to provide theoretical basis for the promotion and improvement of bone health in Tibetan primary school students.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Bone Density; Gut Microbiomes
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: No Intervention: Observational Cohort

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 431

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• China
  • Gansu
    • Lanzhou, Gansu, China, 730000
      • LanZhou University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

This study is based on a cross-sectional design. Two schools were selected: one rural primary school in Xiahe County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, and one urban primary school in Hezuo City, Gansu Province. Within the selected schools, a stratified random cluster sampling method was used to randomly select one class from each grade as the study subjects.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Tibetan primary school students currently enrolled in schools in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture;

Willing to participate and able to cooperate in completing bone density measurements;

Additional inclusion criteria: Subjects who are 9 years old or older and agree to participate in dietary surveys and fecal sampling.

Exclusion Criteria:Use of corticosteroid medications within the past year;

Suffering from skeletal system diseases, metabolic disorders, or endocrine diseases;

Additional exclusion criteria: Subjects who have used antibiotics in the past three months and are undergoing fecal sampling.

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Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Good Bone Density group and normal bone density group	Other: No Intervention: Observational Cohort; No Intervention

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Dietary Characteristics	Dietary data were collected using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to analyze dietary patterns and nutrient intake.	Day 1
Bone density test	In this study, a peripheral dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (EXA-PRESTO) was used to measure the bone density of the non-dominant forearm of the subjects.	Day1
Fecal sample microbiological testing and analysis	This study entrusted Tianhao Gene Technology Co., Ltd. to perform the intestinal microbiome Accu16STM (16S rRNA absolute quantitative sequencing). The main research processes include DNA extraction, PCR amplification, library construction, and sequencing.	Day 1

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Jianhua Ma

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 10, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 31, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): March 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 20, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 20, 2025
• First Posted (Estimated): December 1, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 5, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 29, 2025
• Last Verified: November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: IRB23082901

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No