Assessment of calcium intake from food in schoolchildren the results of an observational study in two centers

Background. Dairy products are the main source of calcium intake in children and adolescents, which is extremely important for the formation of peak bone mass, which largely determines the health of bone tissue in old age. Aim of the study was to assess the intake of calcium with food in schoolchildren aged 7-17 years. Materials and methods. A questionnaire was developed to assess the consumption of dairy products. A survey was conducted in 1,361 schoolchildren of the second–eleventh grades in two schools in Yaroslavl and Kostroma. Results. The average calcium intake was 1271.91 ±779.97 mg /day, with a significant decrease in its intake with increasing age. When compared with the standard of physiological intake of this macronutrient established in the Russian Federation, it turned out that the number of children consuming insufficient calcium decreased with increasing age (from 57.7% among children in 2-4 grades to 40.3% in middle school students and up to 35.0% in high grades). Concurrently, the number of children taking 50-99% of the daily requirement increased (from 33.1% at age among younger students to 44.4% and 48.0% in the middle school and high school groups, respectively) and <50% (from 9.2% in group 1 to 15.3% and 17.0% in groups 2 and 3, respectively). Conclusions. The data obtained demonstrate a high prevalence of insufficient calcium intake from food in children, especially in adolescence.