[Calcium intake among school children in Badajoz].
BACKGROUND
The intake of calcium has been studied in the diet of adolescents from a school in Badajoz (Spain) determining their BMI and their living habits (sport, consumption of tobacco and alcohol).


METHODS
By means of an aleatory sampling, a sample n was selected = 207 (49.76% males and 50.24 females) with an average age of 14.14 +/- 2.08 years. They were weighed and measured to calculate their BMI. A questionnaire was carried out on consumption of products rich in calcium: milk and dairy produce, vegetables, fruit, chied fruits. The statistical analysis was carried out by means of Student t and ANOVA.


RESULTS
The results was BMI < 25 (thin or standard) in 86.47%; BMI 25-30 (overweight) in 10.63% and BMI > 30 (overweight) 2.9%. The consumption of daily calcium was of 1304 +/- 702 g/ppd, higher (p < 0.001) in boys (10.45 +/- 5.51) than in girls (7.82 +/- 3.84). There is not correlation between BMI and calcium consumption. The boys observe the NIH recommendations. But girls usually don't. Milk products provide 87% of the consumed calcium. The boys who practice some sports consume 9.88 +/- 5.23 g/pps, the other ones 7.09 +/- 2.95 g/pps.


CONCLUSIONS
1. The weekly intake of calcium by surveyed students is 9.13 g/pps, smaller in girls than in boys. 2. Milk products provide 87% of the consumed calcium. 3. A 10.63% of them is overweight and a 2.9% is very overweight. 4. A 10.63% usually smokes and a 20.29% consumes alcohol. 5. A 26.27% doesn't practice any sports and consumes less calcium (p < 0.001) than the recommended quantity.
Pérez
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Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz.
Campillo
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C
Almena
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A
García
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C
González
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A
Campillo
J E
JE
D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D002648:Child; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D013030:Spain
D002136:Calcium, Dietary