Growth, bone mass, and vitamin D status of Chinese adolescent girls 3 y after withdrawal of milk supplementation

• Published in: The American journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 83; no. 3; pp. 714 - 721
• Main Authors: Zhu, Kun, Zhang, Qian, Foo, Leng Huat, Trube, Angelika, Ma, Guansheng, Hu, Xiaoqi, Du, Xueqin, Cowell, Chris T, Fraser, David R, Greenfield, Heather
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD American Society for Clinical Nutrition 01.03.2006; American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc
• Subjects: 25-hydroxycholecalciferol; Absorptiometry, Photon; Adolescent; adolescent nutrition; adolescents; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Body Height - drug effects; Body Height - physiology; Body Weight - drug effects; Body Weight - physiology; Bone density; Bone Density - drug effects; Bone Density - physiology; Bone Development - drug effects; Bone Development - physiology; bone mineralization; calcium; Calcium, Dietary - administration & dosage; Child; child growth; China; dietary minerals; Dietary Supplements; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Food, Fortified; fortified foods; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Girls; Growth - drug effects; Growth - physiology; health status; Humans; menarche; Menarche - physiology; Milk; nutritional intervention; nutritional status; puberty; school meals; school milk intervention; skeletal maturity; Teenagers; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; vitamin D; Vitamin D - administration & dosage; Vitamin D - blood; vitamin deficiencies; China; China, People's Rep; Human; Chinese girls; Accretion; Growth; bone mineral accretion; Minerals; follow-up study; vitamin D status; Osteoarticular system; Bone mass; Vitamin D; Follow up study; Adolescent; Chinese; Bone; Supplementation; Milk supplementation; Child; Milk
• ISSN: 0002-9165; 1938-3207
• DOI: 10.1093/ajcn.83.3.714

BACKGROUND: A 2-y school milk intervention trial showed that 330 mL of a dietary milk supplement (fortified with calcium alone or with both calcium and vitamin D) enhanced the growth and bone mineral accretion of Chinese girls aged 10 y at baseline. Girls who received milk fortified with both calcium and vitamin D also had better vitamin D status than did girls who received nothing or girls who received milk fortified only with calcium. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to evaluate whether these effects were sustained 3 y after supplement withdrawal. DESIGN: Anthropometric measures and dietary intake were reassessed in 501 of the 698 girls whose data had been studied at the end of the intervention. As in the intervention phase, total-body bone mineral content and bone mineral density and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations were measured in half of these subjects. RESULTS: At follow-up, 99% of girls had reached menarche, at a mean (±SD) menarcheal age of 12.1 ± 1.1 y. No significant differences in the timing of menarche were observed between the 3 groups (P = 0.6). No significant differences in the changes of total-body bone mineral content and bone mineral density since baseline were observed between the groups. The group receiving calcium-fortified milk had significantly greater gains in sitting height (0.9 ± 0.3%; P = 0.02) than did the control group. The group that received calcium- and vitamin D-fortified milk had 17.1 ± 6.7% lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations than did the control group (P = 0.04), but the difference was attenuated by additional adjustment for physical activity level (14.2 ± 6.7%; P = 0.08). CONCLUSION: Milk supplementation during early puberty does not have long-lasting effects on bone mineral accretion.