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Calcium and Dairy Intakes of Adolescents Are Associated with Their Home Environment, Taste Preferences, Personal Health Beliefs, and Meal Patterns

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2006.08.018Get rights and content

Abstract

Objective

To identify correlates of calcium, dairy, and milk intakes among male and female adolescents.

Design

Cross-sectional study design. Adolescents self-reported measures pertaining to correlates on the Project EAT (Eating Among Teens) survey and completed a food frequency questionnaire at school.

Subjects/setting

Subjects were a total of 4,079 middle and high school students from Minneapolis/St Paul, MN, public schools.

Statistical analyses performed

Multiple linear regression models based on social cognitive theory were examined by sex.

Results

Male adolescents reported higher daily intakes of calcium (male: 1,217±663 mg; female: 1,035±588 mg; P<0.001), dairy servings (male: 2.9±1.9; female: 2.4±1.7; P<0.001), and milk servings (male: 2.0±1.5; female: 1.5±1.4; P<0.001) than female adolescents. Calcium intakes of male adolescents were significantly and positively related to availability of milk at meals, taste preference for milk, eating breakfast, higher socioeconomic status, and social support for healthful eating; intakes were significantly and inversely related to consumption of soft drinks and fast food. Among female adolescents, availability of milk at meals, taste preference for milk, eating breakfast, higher socioeconomic status, personal health/nutrition attitudes, and self-efficacy to make healthful food choices were significantly and positively related to intakes; intakes were significantly and inversely related to fast-food consumption. Models of calcium intake explained 71% of the variance in male adolescents and 72% of the variance in female adolescents.

Conclusions

Multicomponent interventions with a focus on the family environment are likely to be most effective in increasing calcium intakes among adolescents.

Section snippets

Study Design

Data for this analysis were drawn from Project EAT (Eating Among Teens) (27, 28), a study designed to investigate socioenvironmental, personal, and behavioral correlates of dietary intake among adolescents. After approval by the University of Minnesota Human Subjects’ Committee and by the Research Boards of participating school districts, survey and anthropometric data were collected by trained staff in health, physical education, and science classrooms during the 1998-1999 school year.

Intakes of Calcium, Dairy, and Milk

Male adolescents reported higher daily intakes of calcium (male: 1,217±663 mg; female: 1,035±588 mg; P<0.001), dairy servings (male: 2.9±1.9; female: 2.4±1.7; P<0.001), and milk servings (male: 2.0±1.5; female: 1.5±1.4; P<0.001) than female adolescents (Table 2). Male adolescents and female adolescents consuming the greatest amounts of calcium were in junior high school, of upper-middle or high SES, of average weight, and of white or mixed/other race. The lowest intakes of calcium, milk, or

Discussion

This study investigated correlates of calcium, dairy, and milk intakes among male and female adolescents. Mean intakes were less than recommended in many subgroups of the sample and were particularly low among senior high school female adolescents, students of low SES, and overweight students. Female Hispanic students and both male and female Asian students also reported particularly low intakes in comparison with their peers. For both male and female adolescents, milk served at meals, taste

Conclusions

  • Intakes of calcium, dairy, and milk are inadequate among adolescents, and there is a need for interventions given the health implications of chronically low consumption.

  • Multicomponent interventions with a focus on the family environment are likely to be most effective to increase calcium intakes among adolescents.

  • Adolescents from families with limited incomes are in particular need of interventions and nutrition education.

  • Food and nutrition professionals should encourage parents to serve milk

N. I. Larson is a graduate student in nutrition, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

References (38)

Cited by (111)

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N. I. Larson is a graduate student in nutrition, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

M. Story is a professor, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

M. Wall is an associate professor, Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

D. Neumark-Sztainer is a professor, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

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