A negative trend in calcium intake was accompanied by a substitution of milk by noncarbonated soft drinks in Canadian female students

Over the past 25 years, adolescents' intake of soft drinks doubled, arousing health concerns such as obesity, tooth decay, and inadequate bone accrual. In the absence of national data for determining a trend of beverage intake in Canadian adolescents, we examined beverage consumption and its relationship with calcium intake of grade 9 students living in Saskatoon, at 3 time points from 1991 to 2004. Intake data from 2 studies at the University of Saskatchewan were used. Subjects were 98 (45 boys, 53 girls), 62 (31 boys, 31 girls), and 58 (40 boys, 18 girls) grade 9 students during 1991 to 1993, 1995 to 1997, and 2003 to 2004, respectively; the age range spanned from 14 to 16 years. Dietary intakes were assessed via serial 24-hour recalls, during which the name and quantity of each food and beverage consumed in last 24 hours were reported. One-way analysis of variance or its nonparametric equivalent was used to assess differences over time. Beverages were classified into 3 groups: milk, juice, and soft drinks (excluding noncaloric beverages). Percent contribution of milk to total beverage intake was significantly decreased in boys and girls from 1991 to 2004. In girls only, a significant negative trend in calcium intake was observed over time. Percent contribution of fruit juice significantly increased in boys and girls over time. There was a significant negative association between milk intake and consumption of noncarbonated soft drinks in both sexes (P < .001). Milk was substituted by noncarbonated soft drinks more than by carbonated beverages, and girls were more at risk for this substitution than boys.