Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T13:25:46.188Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Milk choices made by women: what influences them, and does it impact on calcium intake?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

KM Cashel*
Affiliation:
Gadi Research Centre, University of Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
D Crawford
Affiliation:
School of Health Sciences, Deakin University, Victoria 3125, Australia3127
V Deakin
Affiliation:
Gadi Research Centre, University of Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
*
*Corresponding author: Email [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Objective

To identify influences on type of milk consumed and the impact of milk choice on calcium intakes in Australian women of pre- and postmenopausal age.

Design and setting

Questionnaires covering calcium intake, health-related dietary issues and priorities self-completed in a group setting.

Subjects

A total of 300 women recruited from community groups and government departments.

Results

Mean milk and calcium intake were higher in older (≥50 years) compared to younger women. Milk provided over 50% of calcium intake for both groups. Participants rated the importance of eating foods low in fat, energy or cholesterol, high in calcium or dietary fibre or of ‘limiting their intake of added sugar or sugary foods’. Younger and older women ranked eating foods low in fat as the most important food habit for their health, then ranked dietary fibre next in importance. Calcium ranked third for younger women, and fourth for older women. These rankings were reflected in the higher proportion of older women choosing fat-reduced milk in general, and skim milk in particular. This concern about eating foods low in fat was consistent with the choices made of skim, reduced fat/higher calcium or whole milk.

Conclusions

Results from this study suggest that concerns about fat are prejudicing the type of milk and amount of calcium consumed. Public health strategies targeting calcium intake need to address age-related differences in quantity and type of milk consumed, including the food attribute conflicts influencing these.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © CABI Publishing 2000

References

1National Health and Medical Research Council. Dietary Guidelines for Australians. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1992.Google Scholar
2National Health and Medical Research Council. Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1994.Google Scholar
3National Health and Medical Research Council. Recommended Dietary Intakes for Use in Australia. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1991.Google Scholar
4Nordin, C. Calcium. In: Truswell, AST et al. , eds. Recommended Nutrient Intakes: Australian Papers. Sydney: Australian Professional Publishers, 1990; 201–19.Google Scholar
5National Institutes of Health. Optimal Calcium Intake. NIH Consensus Statement online, 6–8 June 1994, 12(4): 113 1994.Google Scholar
6Bronner, F.Calcium and osteoporosis. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1994; 60: 831–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7MacKerras, D.Calcium intake and osteoporosis. Aust. J. Nutr. Diet. 1995; 52 (Suppl.): S3–25.Google Scholar
8English, R, Cashel, K, Lewis, J, Waters, A, Bennett, S. National Dietary Survey of Schoolchildren Aged 10–15 years. No. 2. Nutrient Intakes. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1989.Google Scholar
9English, R, Cashel, K, Bennett, S, Berzins, J, Waters, A, Magnus, P. National Dietary Survey of Adults: 1983. No. 2. Nutrient Intakes. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1987.Google Scholar
10Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). National Nutrition Survey. Nutrient Intakes and Physical Measurements. Australia 1995. Catalogue No. 4805.0. Canberra: ABS, 1998.Google Scholar
11Seeman, E. In: National Health and Medical Council, ed. Dietary Guidelines for Australians. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1992; 95104.Google Scholar
12Kerr, D. Include foods high in calcium. In: National Health and Medical Research Council, ed. Dietary Guidelines for Older Australians. Canberra: AusInfo, 1999; 121–31.Google Scholar
13Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Apparent Consumption of Foodstuffs and Nutrients, 1993–1994. Canberra: ABS, 1997.Google Scholar
14English, R, Cashel, K, Lewis, J, Bennett, S, Berzins, J, Penm, R. National Dietary Survey of Schoolchildren (aged 10–15 years): 1985. No. 1. Foods Consumed. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1988.Google Scholar
15Cashel, K, English, R, Bennett, S, Berzins, J, Brown, G, Magnus, P. National Dietary Survey of Adults. No. 1. Foods Consumed. Canberra: Australian Government Printing Service, 1986.Google Scholar
16Baghurst, K, Record, S, Syrette, J, et al. What are Australian's Eating. Results from the 1985 and 1990 Victorian Nutrition Surveys. Adelaide: CSIRO/Deakin University Food and Nutrition Program, 1993.Google Scholar
17Baghurst, K, Powis, G, Record, S, Baghurst, P, Court, M, Thompson, G. Nutrition in South Australia from 1988 to 1993. Adelaide: CSIRO/Foundation SA, 1994.Google Scholar
18Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). National Nutrition Survey. Foods Eaten. Australia 1995. Catalogue No. 4805.0. Canberra: ABS, 1999.Google Scholar
19Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Apparent Consumption of Foodstuffs and Nutrients, 1988–89. Canberra: ABS, 1992.Google Scholar
20Nowak, M, Speare, R.Gender differences in food-related concerns, beliefs and behaviours in North Queensland adolescents. J. Paediatr. Child Health 1996; 32: 424–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21Worsley, A. Australian's dietary and nutrition concerns. In: Truswell, AST, Whalqvist, M, eds. Food Habits in Australia. Melbourne: Rene Gordon, 1988; 122–45.Google Scholar
22Crawford, D, Baghurst, K.Diet and health: a national survey of beliefs, behaviours and barriers to change in the community. Aust. J. Nutr. Diet. 1990; 47(4): 97104.Google Scholar
23Crawford, D, Baghurst, K.Nutrition information in Australia – the public's view. Aust. J. Nutr. Diet. 1991; 48(2): 40–4.Google Scholar
24Hughes, R, Lund-Adams, M, Heywood, PReported dietary change amongst a group of Brisbane residents. Aust. J. Nutr. Diet. 1996; 53(1): 20–4.Google Scholar
25Schwartz, N.What do consumers really think about dietary fat? J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 1997; 7(Suppl.): S73–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
26Australian Dairy Corporation (ADC). 1997 Dairy Compendium. Melbourne: ADC, 1997.Google Scholar
27Australian Capital Territory Milk Marketing Authority. Canberra Milk. Annual Report 1995/96. Canberra: ACT Government Printer, 1996.Google Scholar
28Luoto, R, Kaprio, J, Uutela, A.Age at natural menopause and sociodemographic status in Finland Am. J. Epidemiol. 1994; 139(1): 6476.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
29Leidy, L.Timing of menopause in relation to body size and weight change. Hum. Biol. 1996; 68(6): 967–82.Google ScholarPubMed
30Angus, AM, Sambrook, PN, Pocock, NA, Eisman, JA. A simple method for assessing calcium intake in caucasian women. J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 1989; 89(2): 209–14.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
31Cashel, K, English, R, Lewis, R. Composition of Foods, Australia. Canberra: Australian Government Printing Service, 1989.Google Scholar
32English, R, Lewis, J, Cashel, K. Composition of Foods, Australia. Vol. 2. Cereals. Canberra: Australian Government Printing Service, 1991.Google Scholar
33English, R, Lewis, J. Composition of Foods, Australia. Vol. 3. Dairy Foods. Canberra: Australian Government Printing Service, 1990.Google Scholar
34McLennan, W. Australian Social Trends 1996. ABS Catalogue No. 4102.0. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1996.Google Scholar
35Baghurst, K, Record, S, Syrette, J, Powis, G. Does 5 years Make a Difference? Results from the CSIRO Australian Food and Nutrition Surveys 1988 and 1993. Adelaide: CSIRO, 1996.Google Scholar
36Sandler, RB, Siemenda, CW, LaPorte, RE, et al. Postmenopausal bone density and milk consumption in childhood and adolescence. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1985; 42: 270–4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
37Teegarden, D, Lyle, R, Proulx, W, Johnston, C, Weaver, C.Previous milk consumption is associated with greater bone density in young women. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1999; 69: 1014–17.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
38Chapman, K, Chan, M, Clark, C.Factors influencing dairy milk intake in women. J. Am. Coll. Nutr. 1995; 14(4): 336–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
39Brewer, J, Blake, A, Rankin, S, Douglass, L.Theory of reasoned action predicts milk consumption in women. J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 1999; 99: 3944.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed