Doctors recommend that young children participate in daily physical activity to promote bone
health. However, studies in adults show that physical activity and increased calcium intake
cause noticeable benefits for bone health only when both factors occur together. The goal of
this study is to find out whether calcium intake changes the response of bone to activity in
children 3 to 4 years old. Children will participate in one of two programs conducted in
childcare centers 5 days a week for 1 year. One program will involve activities that use
large muscles (gross motor activity). The other will involve activities using small muscles
(fine motor activity). We will give a calcium supplement (1 gram per day) to half of the
children in each program and give the other half an inactive pill. We will measure bone mass
and bone mineral density at the beginning and end of the study. We will take measurements 12
months after the program's completion to see if physical activity and/or calcium supplements
have long-term effects on bone mineral density and physical activity.
Phase:
Phase 2
Details
Lead Sponsor:
South Dakota State University
Collaborator:
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)