Influence of Calcium and Vitamin D Intakes on Body Composition in Children and Adolescents

Abstract

Identifying nutritional strategies to maintain a healthy body weight and reduce the comorbidities associated with obesity is extremely important. We aimed to investigate whether calcium and vitamin D intakes are associated with body composition measurements in a population of children and adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 1060 children and adolescents (65.8% females; 34.2% males) aged 9 to 19. Fat mass, percentage of fat mass, and fat-free mass were measured using a body composition analyzer (TANITA BC-418MA®). The mean dietary calcium and vitamin intakes were 829.66 ±328.34 mg/day and 200.78±400.91 IU/day. Linear regression analysis revealed a lack of significant association between daily calcium and vitamin D intakes and body composition measurements after adjusting the model for age, sex, maturation status, and energy intake. Dietary calcium and vitamin D intakes do not appear to be associated with higher adiposity measurements in children and adolescents