Consumption of dairy products in adolescent girls age 15 to 18 in a high school in Asuncion, Paraguay

摘要

Introduction: Osteoporosis has become a topic of pediatric interest because bone mineral density (BMD) in adults is dependent on the peak bone-mass achieved during childhood and adolescence. Various factors affect the accretion of bone mass, among them are calcium consumption, especially through dairy products, and physical activities. Objective: To evaluate the daily consumption of calcium from dairy products, assess the nutritional state, and describe risk factors related to osteoporosis in adolescent girls ages 15 to 18 at a public high school in Asuncion, Paraguay. Materials and Methods: Observational and descriptive design with a cross-sectional analytical component. A total of 100 adolescent girls were included and their nutritional status evaluated according to body mass index (BMI), stature- for-age (CDC, 2000), mid-upper arm circumference, and triceps skinfold. Consumption of dairy products was evaluated through a nutritional survey taken during October 2006. Risk factors were described by means of a self-administered multiple-choice questionnaire. Statistics: Parametric and non-parametric measures of central tendency, such as the Chi squared and Fisher Exact Test were used. Significance was considered to be pResults: Only 7% of the adolescents in the study consumed the 4 portions of dairy products recommended for their age group. The average consumption of calcium from dairy products was 492 mg/day. We found a prevalence of being overweight of 8%, and of obesity of 5%. Some 9% of the adolescents were of short stature. Conclusions: The majority of adolescents do not consume the recommended amount of calcium.