Dietary Calcium Intake in Sample of School Age Children in City of Rabat, Morocco

Calcium is an important mineral playing a vital role to maintain bone health. Calcium intake is considered as one of the most important determinants to assess the calcium status and to evaluate the calcium deficiency in the human body. Our study aims at estimating calcium intake in a sample of children and adolescent to be used in the global strategy to reduce calcium deficiency disorders in Morocco. Thus, 131 children and adolescents were recruited from public schools at Rabat and its regions in the framework of a descriptive cross-sectional study. For each participant, anthropometric parameters were measured. Calcium status was assessed by 24 h dietary recall. Food frequency questionnaire was used to evaluate children’s nutritional habits and to assess the consumption of calcium-rich food. Overall, the mean calcium intake was 522.0 ± 297.0 mg/day, and 85.5% of subjects highlighted calcium deficiency, with no significant difference between boys and girls. Calcium intake was significantly different according to age groups, and high consumption of calcium was found in subjects aged from 14 to 18 years (776.86 ±290.07 mg/day), giving evidence of the low calcium status of the studied population. Daily food intake and food frequency analysis showed that bread, vegetables, and fruits are the most consumed food and the main source of daily calcium intake. Consumption of dairy products, considered as the best source of calcium, is lower and represents only 14% of total calcium intake. Our study clearly showed that calcium status is very lower in Moroccan children and adolescents and a large proportion of this population have inadequate calcium intake. Hence, there’s an urgent need of specific strategies, including children sensitisation and nutritional education, to increase calcium intake and therefore reduce calcium deficiency disorders impacting the whole body during childhood and in adult age

The effect of multiple micronutrient fortified milk consumption on vitamin D status among school-age children in rural region of Morocco.

Vitamin D deficiency is a health problem in both developed and developing countries. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of multivitamin fortified milk consumption on vitamin D status among children living in the mountainous region of Morocco. 7 to 9 years old children (n=239; 49% of girls vs 51% of boys) have participated in a double blind longitudinal study, where they were divided in two groups: a fortified group who received daily 200 mL of fortified Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) milk enriched with 3μg of vitamin D3 and a non-fortified group who received 200 mL of non-fortified UHT milk with a natural abundance of vitamin D3 (about 1.5µg). Blood samples were collected three times (at baseline, after 4 and 9 months). The average weight, height and BAZ of participants were 22.8±2.6 kg, 121.5±5.2 cm and -0.2±0.6 kg/m² respectively. At baseline, 47.5% of children had a concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) below 50 nmol/L. At the end of the study the prevalence of vitamin DThe accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Assessment of Sodium and Potassium Intakes in Children Aged 6 to 18 Years by 24 h Urinary Excretion in City of Rabat, Morocco

Background. The incidence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) has greatly increased, mainly due to high level of dietary sodium. Thus, reduction of sodium intake in population has been recognized as one of the most cost-effective strategies to reduce NCDs. The aim of this study was to estimate sodium and potassium consumption in a sample of Moroccan children as a baseline study to implement national strategy for salt intake reduction. Methods. The study was conducted on 131 children aged 6–18 years recruited from Rabat and its region. Sodium excretion and potassium excretion were measured on 24 h urinary collection, and the creatinine excretion was used to validate completeness of urine collections. Results. The average of urinary sodium was 2235.3 ± 823.2 mg/day, and 50% of children consume more than 2 g/d of sodium (equivalent to 5 g/day of salt), recommended by the WHO. However, daily urinary excretion of potassium was 1431 ± 636.5 mg/day, and 75% of children consume less than adequate intake. Sodium consumption increased significantly with age. Of particular interest, 46.7% of children aged 6–8 years and 49.3% of children aged 9–13 years consume more than the corresponding upper limits. Conclusions. Children have high sodium and low potassium status. There is evidence of the urgent need to implement a strategy for reduction of dietary sodium intake in Morocco