Selected factors related to calcium intake and change in calcium intake resulting from a Health Belief Model and health locus of control-based intervention among 45-54 year old women

Abstract

This fact emphasizes the importance of exercise for yoimg women in preparation for the predictable post-menopausal bone loss. This exercise should be coupled with an adequate calcium intake. Based on the present recommendations the pre-menopausal requirements for this essential mineral are higher than the National Institute s of Health (Optimal Calcium Intake. NIH Consensus Statement. 1994). To be in balance, pre menopausal women need 1,000 mg of elemental calcium per day (Notelovitz, 1986). According to the most recent U.S. government estimates, average calcium intake among 40 to 49 year old women is 717 mg per day, and among 50 to 59 year olds, 660 mg per day, while intakes for 60 to 69 year old women averages 711 mg per day, far short of the 1,000 to 1,400 mg thought to be needed (Interagency Board for Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research, 1995). Among post-menopausal women, the behavioral risk factor that has received the most attention is the use of hormone replacement therapy. Estrogen replacement therapy can slow osteoporosis, but it will not reestablish the bone that has been lost. However, the use of estrogen alone after menopause may increase the risk of endometrial cancer (Whitehead et al., 1979). Recent studies have also focused on whether post-menopausal calcium intake and exercise affect bone loss among these women. For example, results of a study by Nelson and co-workers (1991) suggest that exercise coupled with high dietary calcium may decrease bone loss at various skeletal sites. Recent evidence also suggests that maintaining a high calcium intake will slow bone loss among post-menopausal women, regardless of whether or not they are taking hormone