Association Between Vegetarian Diet and Bone Mineral Density Assessed by Quantitative Ultrasound in Young Adult Women

ABSTRACT Objectives The association between vegetarian dietary patterns and bone health remains inconsistent, particularly in young adult populations. This study aimed to investigate the association between adherence to a vegetarian dietary pattern and bone mineral density (BMD) in a sample of young adult women. Methods The study included 648 young adult women from Slovakia (67 reporting adherence to a vegetarian diet and 581 omnivores). BMD was assessed using quantitative ultrasonography. Baseline demographic and lifestyle information was collected using a structured questionnaire. Linear regression analyses were applied to examine independent associations between dietary pattern and BMD. Results Women reporting adherence to a vegetarian diet exhibited significantly higher speed of sound (SOS) at the radius (4111.0 ± 124.7 vs. 4068.4 ± 111.2 m/s; p = 0.017) and higher z ‐score (0.09 ± 1.29 vs. −0.27 ± 1.09; p = 0.036) compared with omnivorous women. In linear regression analyses, adherence to a vegetarian dietary pattern was independently associated with higher SOS and z ‐score values, whereas smoking status, physical activity, and body weight were not retained in the final models. Conclusions Women reporting adherence to a vegetarian dietary pattern exhibited higher SOS and z ‐score values at the radius compared with their omnivorous peers. These findings suggest that adherence to a vegetarian dietary pattern is associated with differences in bone characteristics in young adult women.