Abstract (EN):
Introduction: Dietary intakes and supplementation with calcium and vitamin D have been evaluated as determinants in risk reduction for a number of common chronic diseases in developed societies. Knowledge of exposures to these nutrients in populations can work as a basis for the establishment of preventive strategies. In this study, we present the values for dietary intakes of calcium and vitamin D in women living in Porto, Portugal, and evaluate their adequacy according to the present European recommendations. Methods: We selected a representative sample of the adult population of Porto using random digit dialling. Information on diet was provided by 1456 women, by means of a previously validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and results were compared with dietary reference intakes in the European Union. Results: The median for calcium intake ranged from 838 to 977 mg/day and the median for vitamin D intake between 2.99 and 3.73 ¿g/day. Regarding calcium, the minimum proportion of inadequacy was 41.0% in women under 30 years-old, and the maximum was 58.1 % in women aged 70 and over. Inadequacy in vitamin D intake ranged from 70.5%, in women under 30, to 96.0% in women aged between 60 and 69. There was a trend for the increase in vitamin D intake inadequacy with age (p for trend<0.001). Conclusions: A large proportion of females in Porto presented calcium and particularly vitamin D intakes below recommendations, as has been observed for other populations. Increased dietary intakes or supplementation may represent important strategies in Portugal, regarding the prevention of relevant conditions in our society. © ArquiMed, 2005.
Language:
Portuguese
Type (Professor's evaluation):
Scientific