Introduction: Reference standards for bone mineral density (BMD) in children are not yet available in Vietnam. This study was conducted to quantify reference BMD values of children and adolescents in Ho Chi Minh City and to understand the associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenience sample of 157 children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 in Ho Chi Minh City. DXA scans were performed to measure BMD at a hospital
anthropometric measurements, pubertal stages, and self-reported calcium intake were taken at schools. After that, the BMD of total less head (BMDTLH) and lumbar spine (BMDLS) by age, sex, or pubertal stage were established. Multivariable regression models were applied to determine associated factors with bone density. Results: BMD increased significantly with the pubertal stages. Males’ values were higher than those of females in both prepubescent and pubescent groups, except that in the pre-pubescent group, BMDLS values were nearly the same in both sexes. After adjustment, BMD was significantly and strongly associated with anthropometric variables but not dairy-based calcium intake. Conclusions: The BMD data among Vietnamese children and adolescents and associated factors were found in this study, which could be beneficial for designing larger-scale studies. DOI: 10.59715/pntjmp.3.2.7