title: Calcium needs in children.
abstract: Adequate calcium intake and physical activity during childhood and adolescence may be an important factor in bone acquisition and primary prevention of osteoporosis. Inadequate calcium intake during the pubertal growth spurt, in particular, may compromise an individual's volumetric bone density and predispose children to bone fragility fractures. In addition, it may compromise an individual's ability to reach his or her genetic potential in bone mass acquisition, or peak bone mass. National standards have been set for optimal calcium intake for childhood and adolescence. Most children and teenagers do not meet these requirements; therefore, there is a strong need to influence their behavior to consume foods rich in calcium.
authors.affiliation: Bone and Mineral Metabolism Laboratory, Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Badenhop-Stevens
authors.forename: Velimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Matkovic
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001846:Bone Development; D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D002136:Calcium, Dietary