Levels, sources, and seasonality of dietary calcium intake in children and adolescents enrolled in the University of Saskatchewan pediatric bone mineral accrual study

Abstract

An adequate calcium (Ca) intake during the growth period may be critical in maximizing peak bone mass, a determinant of future risk of osteoporosis. Decreases in dietary calcium intakes have been attributed to decreases in dairy consumption so that it is important to know the amount and sources of dietary calcium. To determine the intake and sources of calcium of subjects in the University of Saskatchewan Pediatric Bone Mineral Accrual Study, we analyzed individual food records for sources of calcium using records over six years of the study in 226 subjects aged 8 to 19 years who each provided up to four recalls per year. Recalls with very low or very high reported energy intakes were omitte..