BONE MINERALIZATION AND CALCIUM INTAKE IN SCHOOL-AGE-CHILDREN

Bone mineralization was evaluated in 36 school age children with calci um intake below 50% of Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA), and compa red with 28 school age children with calcium intake higher than 100% o f the RDA. The total group was aged between 86 and 178 months. The cal cium intake was evaluated by 24 hours recordatory survey. Height for a ge and weight for height were evaluated according to WHO tables. Puber al development was evaluated according to Tanner stages. Bone mineral density (BMD) and total bone mas (TBM) of whole body, spine and femora l neck were measured with Norland 2600 densitometer. School age childr en with intakes below 50% of RDA had lower height for age adequation ( 97,7 +/- 4,0%), whole body TBM adecuation (98,9 +/- 17,9%) and BMD ade quation (97,8 +/- 7,9%) than those ingesting more than 100% of the RDA (115,9 +/- 17,4%), (109,7 +/- 18,0%) and (104,7 +/- 11,1%) respective ly. In spine, however, there was a clear tendency to be lower, there w ere no significant differences between both groups. There were no diff erences in femoral necks BMD adequation, or TBM adequation between bot h groups. These results show that children with calcium intake below 5 0% of the recommendation has lower adequation of statural growth and b one mineralization. The role of calcium in the differences founded in this study is discussed.