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 .
A Population-Based Study of Fracture Incidence in Southern Tasmania: Lifetime Fracture Risk and Evidence for Geographic Variations within the Same Country

Abstract : Symptomatic fractures are a significant problem in terms of both morbidity and financial cost . Marked variation in both total and site-specific fracture incidence has been documented internationally but there is limited within-country data . This prospect i ve population -based study documented the incidence of all symptomatic fractures occurring from July 1 , 1997 to June 30 , 1999 in adults ≥50 years of age resident in Southern Tasmania ( total population ≥50 years : 64 688 ) . Fractures were ascertained by review ing reports from all the radiology providers within the area . There were 701 fractures in men and 1309 fractures in women . The corresponding fracture incidence in men and women was 1248 and 1916 per 100 000 person-years , respectively . Residual lifetime fracture risk in a person aged 50 years was 27 % for men and 44 % for women with fractures other than hip fractures constituting the majority of symptomatic fracture events . These fracture risk estimates remained remarkably constant with increasing age . In comparison to Geelong , there were significantly lower hip fracture rates ( males : RR 0.59 , 95 % CI 0.45–0.76 ; females : RR 0.61 , 95 % CI 0.53–0.71 ) but significantly higher distal forearm fractures ( males : RR 1.87 , 95 % CI 1.10–3.78 ; females : RR 1.31 , 95 % CI 1.11–1.55 ) and total fractures in men ( RR 1.31 , 95 % CI 1.17–1.46 ) but not women ( RR 1.05 , 95 % CI 0.98–1.13 ) . In contrast , Southern Tasmania had lower age-st and ardized rates of all fractures compared with Dubbo ( RR 0.28–0.79 ) . In conclusion , this study provides compelling evidence that fracture incidence varies between different geographic sites within the same country , which has important implication s for health planning . In addition , the combination of high residual fracture risk and short life expectancy in elderly subjects suggests fracture prevention will be most cost-effective in later life
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 .