Changes in dietary calcium intake, body weight, and body composition in pre‐ and post‐menopausal women over a 5‐year interval

Calcium (Ca) is essential for bone mineral density (BMD) and may regulate body weight (BW) and fat mass (FM). We examined changes in Ca intake, BW, and body composition over a 5‐year interval in women aged ≥ 25 years. Women were categorized into groups based on menopausal status at baseline and year 5 (pre/pre, n = 18; pre/post, n = 20; post/post, n = 22). At each interval, women completed a Ca frequency questionnaire, had height (± 0.1 cm) and BW (± 0.1 kg) measured, and completed dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry scans (QDR4500A, Hologic Inc., Bedford, MA) of the total body (TB), lumbar spine (LS, L1‐L4), hip, and forearm. Two‐way analysis of variance with repeated measures indicated no significant differences within or between groups in estimated daily dietary Ca intake (1002 ± 514 mg/d at baseline vs. 999 ± 476 mg/d at year 5), BW, FM, or TB BMD (g/cm2). Women in the pre/post group experienced BMD losses (g/cm2) at the hip (P < 0.05), femoral neck (P < 0.05), and forearm (P < 0.01) compared to pre/pre and post/post groups. Women in the pre/pre group had an increase in LS BMD (P < 0.001) compared to pre/post and post/post groups. As expected, women undergoing the menopausal transition experienced site‐specific losses in BMD. C. Lau was supported by a Hepler Graduate Fellowship, Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia.