This study investigated the relationship of nutritional variables and bone mineral status in a national sample of women ages 20 years and older. Using the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) data, 7,532 women were assessed for influences of race, body composition, exercise intensity, alcohol intake, smoking status, and nutritional intake of calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, iron, zinc, sodium, potassium, and caffeine on bone mineral density (BMD). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) measurements of femoral BMD obtained from the NHANES III study were utilized. Logistic regression analysis revealed advancing age, low body weight, low exercise expenditure, and smoking as significant predictors for low BMD in these women. Being Non-Hispanic Black was found to be protective against loss of bone mass. The nutritional variables examined did not hold significant in the predictive models for BMD status. The absence of calcium from the predictive models indicates the need for re-evaluating the current recommended levels of intake for this nutrient. When assessed at intakes as low as 400 mg per day, calcium remained insignificant (p = .34) for the prediction of bone status. The emphasis health providers and health educators place on calcium intake for the maintenance of health bone may need to be shifted to greater emphasis on factors such as exercise and achieving an adequate weight level. Providing women with the knowledge of their risk for low BMD due to advancing age and ethnicity may influence lifestyle behaviors, which may ultimately result in the prevention of future bone injury.