Abstract
Calcium is an important nutrient for child development. The main objective of this study was to assess calcium intake and its adequacy with dietary reference intake (DRI) in Spanish children. The ANIVA (Antropometría y Nutrición Infantil de Valencia) study is a descriptive cross-sectional study. During two academic years 2013–2014 and 2014–2015, 1176 schoolchildren aged 6–9 years were selected from 14 primary schools in Valencia (Spain). Three-day food records were used to assess dietary intake, completed by parents/guardian. Anthropometric data (weight and height) were evaluated in all subjects. Nutritional intake was compared to estimated average requirements (EARs) and adequate intake (AI) values to determine nutritional adequacy. A percentage of 25.77% had inadequate calcium intake, and a significantly higher prevalence was observed in girls (p = 0.006). Adequate calcium intake showed a positive association with the height z-score (p = 0.032). When assessing dietary patterns, schoolchildren with adequate calcium intakes had better nutritional adequacy in all nutrients, except cholesterol (p = 0.086) and fluorine (p = 0.503). These results suggest a public health problem that must be addressed through nutrition education programs to increase intake of calcium-rich food and to correct the associated dietary pattern.
Highlights
Calcium is one of the key minerals needed to ensure optimal bone health and teeth, and can be especially important during growth spurts [1]
25.8% presented with inadequate calcium intake
We found a statistically significant difference only in height (p = 0.001) and height z-score (p = 0.032); children with adequate calcium intake were significantly taller compared to children with inadequate calcium intake
Summary
Calcium is one of the key minerals needed to ensure optimal bone health and teeth, and can be especially important during growth spurts [1]. Calcium plays a fundamental role in many organism functions, such as hormone secretion stimulation, participation in contracting muscles and nerve impulse transmissions, immune system, mental capacity, and learning [2,3]. Its most important role is in bone skeletal development in childhood and adolescence. Ensuring adequate calcium intake can help minimize growth problems, prevent osteoporosis and osteopenia, and protect against fractures [4,5]. Calcium appears to have other beneficial functions for health. Some studies have linked calcium intake to the prevention of obesity, hypertension, kidney stones, insulin resistance, colon cancer, etc. Some studies have linked calcium intake to the prevention of obesity, hypertension, kidney stones, insulin resistance, colon cancer, etc. [6,7]
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