Frequency of consumption of foods rich in calcium and vitamin D among school-age children
Journal Title: Roczniki Państwowego Zakładu Higieny - Year 2016, Vol 67, Issue 1
Abstract
Background. Calcium is one of the most important minerals for the human body which is essential for healthy bones and teeth. Vitamin D has hormone-like properties in the human body. It is supplied with the diet, but it is also synthesized by the body under exposure to UV radiation. Vitamin D controls calcium and phosphorus metabolism and is responsible for bone modeling and mineralization. Objective. The objective of this study was to evaluate eating habits and food preferences of school-age children meet the demand for calcium and vitamin D, and estimate the frequency of consumption of foods rich in these nutrients. Material and methods. A total of 197 parents of 7- to 9-year-olds attending randomly selected primary schools in Lublin and Świdnik were asked to fill out a questionnaire designed by the authors. The results were processed by the Chi-squared test in the Excel application. Results. Considerable differences in the consumption of milk and dairy products were observed between age groups. In the group of 7-year-olds, 57.5% of children drank milk and ate dairy products at least once a day, whereas in the group of 9-year-olds, only 16.6% of children ate dairy products at least once a day. The intake of foods rich in vitamin D was equally low among the surveyed children. Conclusions. School-age children may be at risk of calcium and vitamin D deficiencies due to low consumption of milk, dairy products and fish, and inadequate vitamin D supplementation. Parents should be educated about nutrition to change the family’s eating habits.
Authors and Affiliations
M. Kostecka
Keywords
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