Assessment of Milk and Dairy Intake and Calcium and Vitamin D Status in the Iranian Navy personnel

Calcium and vitamin D are essential nutrients for the physical and mental health of the military. Soldiers and military personnel are always at risk for bone fractures, making them more likely to consume calcium and vitamin D sources such as milk and dairy products. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the consumption of milk and dairy products and the status of calcium and vitamin D intake in the Iranian Navy personnel.

This study was performed on 89 Navy personnel in Bandar Abbas city in 2018. After collecting demographic data, physical activity was recorded using a physical activity questionnaire and calcium and vitamin D intake were recorded with FFQ168. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20 software.

89 military men with a mean age of 32.6±5.1 years were assessed. The average sleep time was 7.2 hours per day. The average daily energy intake was 2973 kcal. The average intake of the dairy group was 1.2 units/day and the prevalence of calcium deficiency was 77.5%. On average, 20.2% of subjects had vitamin D deficiency and 79.8% of subjects had normal or higher vitamin D intake. Also for calcium, on average 48.3% had lower than standard and 51.7% had normal or high calcium intake.

Many of the Navy subjects had lower dairy and calcium intakes, but for vitamin D, most people showed a standard intake. However, for a more accurate judgment, it is advisable to measure serum vitamin D levels.