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 .
The Effects of an Educational Intervention on Calcium Intake and Bone Mineral Content in Young Women with Low Calcium Intake
Purpose . This study evaluated whether a combined behavioral and dietary intervention would affect young women 's  calcium intake and bone mineral content ( BMC ) . Design . The design was a two by three mixed design with one between-subjects factor ( treatment vs. control ) and one within-subjects factor ( time — baseline , 3-month , and 6-month ) . Setting . The study was conducted in a university setting in Memphis , Tennessee . Participants . A total of 80 premenopausal women ( ages 18 to 30 ) with low baseline calcium intake ( < 700 mg/d ) were included in the analyses . There were 40 women in the treatment group and 40 women in the control group . Measures . Hertzler and Frary 's rapid assessment question naire was employed to evaluate calcium intake , and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry ( DEXA ) was employed to assess BMC . Results . Repeated measures analysis of variance ( RM ANOVA ) was employed to analyze results . Results indicated that women in the treatment group made greater increases in total calcium intake and supplemental calcium than women in the control group and that all women made significant increases in dietary calcium intake . Additionally , analyses of BMC revealed that women in the treatment group did not experience significant changes in total BMC , and women in the control group experienced significant losses in total BMC . Conclusions . In the current study , women were losing BMC , and the women who made the largest increases in calcium intake were able to retard this bone loss . There is increasing evidence that dietary calcium intake in young people is extremely low , and the results of the current study highlight the need for much more intensive evaluations investigating the factors that are positively associated with premenopausal bone mineral change
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 .