There was no effect of calcium supplementation  on femoral neck or lumbar spine BMD .
There was no evidence of effect modification by baseline calcium intake , sex , ethnicity , physical activity or pubertal stage .
While there is a small effect of calcium supplementation in the upper limb , the increase in BMD which results is unlikely to result in a clinical ly significant decrease in fracture risk .
The results do not support the use of calcium supplementation  in healthy children as a public health intervention .
These results can not be extrapolated to children with medical conditions affecting bone metabolism
BACKGROUND Clinical trials have shown that  calcium supplementation in children can increase  bone mineral density ( BMD ) although this effect may not be maintained .
There has been no quantitative systematic review of this intervention .
To determine the effectiveness of calcium supplementation for improving BMD  in children .
.
To determine if any effect varies by sex , pubertal stage , ethnicity or level of physical activity , and if any effect persists after supplementation is ceased .
Test of an Educational Intervention for Osteoporosis Prevention With U.S. Adolescents
PURPOSE : To test the effects of an osteoporosis prevention program given to high school students DESIGN : R and omized , multisite field study . SAMPLE : The final sample for analysis was composed of 693 teens from 18 schools . FINDINGS : The average knowledge difference score of the OPTIONS group was 8.4 percentage points higher than that of the control group . Some of the analysis suggested that girls gained more from the intervention than did boys . Students from all types of schools , responded equivalently to the intervention . Health beliefs about barriers to preventive action were not influenced by the intervention . DISCUSSION : This intervention increased students ' knowledge about how to build healthy bones ; however , the real challenge lies in building on that knowledge gain to influence behaviors . The modest gain in knowledge also suggests that educational interventions of this type should be tested with younger children , who might be more receptive
There was no effect of calcium supplementation  on femoral neck or lumbar spine BMD .
There was no evidence of effect modification by baseline calcium intake , sex , ethnicity , physical activity or pubertal stage .
While there is a small effect of calcium supplementation in the upper limb , the increase in BMD which results is unlikely to result in a clinical ly significant decrease in fracture risk .
The results do not support the use of calcium supplementation  in healthy children as a public health intervention .
These results can not be extrapolated to children with medical conditions affecting bone metabolism
BACKGROUND Clinical trials have shown that  calcium supplementation in children can increase  bone mineral density ( BMD ) although this effect may not be maintained .
There has been no quantitative systematic review of this intervention .
To determine the effectiveness of calcium supplementation for improving BMD  in children .
.
To determine if any effect varies by sex , pubertal stage , ethnicity or level of physical activity , and if any effect persists after supplementation is ceased .