SUN-539 Low Dietary Calcium Intake Among Adolescents and Young Adults in Brasilia, Brazil

Abstract

Abstract INTRODUCTION Peak bone mass, which is the maximal bone mass accrued by an individual by the time it is reached the skeletal maturation, presents a determinant role in bone health throughout adulthood. It is attained between the end of the second and the beginning of the third decade of life, being 40 to 60% of its amount acquired during adolescence. Calcium is an essential mineral for bone formation. So, it is of paramount importance that adolescents and young adults meet their Dietary Reference Intake for calcium (DRI-Ca) to assure adequate bone mass acquisition. Several recent studies, both in our country and in a worldwide context, have shown that a significant proportion of individuals at those ages do not reach their DRI-Ca. AIM OF THE STUDY: Recognize the calcium dietary intake (Ca-DI) among a small sample sized group of teenagers and young adults in Brasilia, Brazil, and compare the obtained data with the recommended DRI-Ca according to the specific age group. It corresponds to the preliminary branch of a more robust ongoing study. PATIENTS AND METHODS Cross sectional pilot study carried out with 15 to 18-year-old adolescents and 19 to 23-year-old young adults attending a university health fair. It was used a validated questionnaire and Ca-DI was determined using the International Osteoporosis Foundation calculator. The obtained data was compared to the DRI-Ca according to the age range: 1,300 mg/day for the adolescent group and 1,000 mg/day for young adults (Institute of Medicine, USA) . RESULTS Thirty-four individuals were included (20 females). Mean age was 18.9 ± 2 yr. Sixteen individuals (12 females) were in the adolescent group and 18 (8 females) in the young adult one. Average Ca-DI for both groups were below their respective DRI-Ca. Mean Ca-DI was 751.8 ± 384 mg/day (57.8 ± 29.5% of DRI-Ca) in the adolescent group, with no difference between sexes (p = 0.22). In the young adult group mean Ca-DI was 792.8 ± 346.6 mg/day (79.3 ± 34.7% of DRI-Ca). In the latter group female individuals showed significantly lower (615.5 ± 131.2 mg) Ca-DI when compared to males (934.6 ± 404 mg), p = 0.038. There was no statistical difference when comparing both age groups regarding their reached percentage of DRI-Ca (p = 0.06). CONCLUSION Although these results were based on a small preliminary cross-sectional study, they may signalize a real warning concerning low Ca dietary intake among adolescents and young adults in our population, especially by the female young adult group.