Nutrition and bone health : with particular reference to calcium and vitamin D / report of the Subgroup on Bone Health, Working Group on the Nutritional Status of the Population of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy.

  • Great Britain. Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy. Working Group on the Nutritional Status of the Population. Subgroup on Bone Health.
Date:
1998
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: Nutrition and bone health : with particular reference to calcium and vitamin D / report of the Subgroup on Bone Health, Working Group on the Nutritional Status of the Population of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The calcium intakes of infants and children up to age 4% years are adequate as assessed against the DRVs (conclusion 9.1.2). OTN. School children and adolescents There is no recent national information about the nutrient intakes of school children in this country. A survey of diet and nutrition of young people aged 4-18 years in Britain completed fieldwork in early 1998 but no results are yet available. In 198374, a survey of 10-11 year olds found a mean daily intake of calcium for boys of 833mg and for girls of 702mg, compared with the RNI of 550mg for children aged 7-10 years and with the RNI for children aged 11-18 years of 1000mg for boys and 800mg for girls. Given that the RNI value for age 10-11 years is likely to lie between the values for the above age bands, these intakes appear adequate. One to two per cent of both the boys and the girls aged 10-11 years had intakes below the LRNI for children aged 7-10 years. 9.10.4 In the same survey, recorded mean calcium intakes of children aged 14- 15 years were equivalent to 93 per cent of the RNI for boys and 87 per cent of the RNI for girls aged 11-18 years*?*. About 5 per cent of boys and about 18 per cent of girls recorded intakes below the LRNI. It is a matter of concern that this significant proportion had calcium intakes below those deemed to be adequate for the group as a whole. Another national survey in 19827” of 15-25 year olds found much higher calcium intakes than those recorded for these ages in other studies (Table 9.2). No estimates have been made of underreporting of dietary intakes in these studies and new data are urgently needed. In conclusion: There are no recent data about calcium intakes in primary school children. Data about older children are limited to specific ages and, because they were collected several years ago, may not reflect current dietary practices. It is not possible to draw firm conclusions for this age group but average intake was below RNI values in secondary school children, especially older girls, and all young people should take special care to avoid low calcium intakes. When the data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey of young people are available, they should be reviewed with particular reference to calcium intakes and to identifying the characteristics of those whose intakes are low (conclusion 9.1.3). 9.10.5 Women aged 16-64 years National data for adults are now also over 10 years old?*® (para 9.4.5 and Table 9.2). Then, the mean daily calcium intake for women aged 16-24 years was 675mg which represents 84 per cent of the RNI for the 11-18 year age group and 96 per cent of the RNI for the age group aged 19 years and above. In the 25-34 year group of women the mean daily calcium intake was 699mg which equals the RNI, and similar values were recorded for older age groups. A significant proportion of women recorded calcium intakes below the LRNI of 400mg: 16 per cent at 16-24 years, 13 per cent at 25-34 years, 7 per cent