While it/s true that many older Americans suffer from osteoporosis 77 the National Osteoporosis Foundation/s estimate is 44 million men and women age 50 and older 77 they aren/t the only ones at risk.

Adolescents can easily put themselves in danger of developing this bone-thinning disease later in life if their current diets lack adequate amounts of calcium.

"Osteoporosis is often referred to as a pediatric disease with a geriatric outcome," said Susan Klucker, health educator with Santa Barbara County Public Health and North Region coordinator for Project LEAN, who strives to spread education about the importance of calcium among area adolescents through these roles.

That/s because people have a limited number of years 77 only until about age 20 77 to strengthen their bones with enough calcium to last a lifetime.

"It/s all downhill from there," said Dr. Karen S. Kolba from the Pacific Arthritis Center in Santa Maria.

Both women stressed the importance of communicating that message to local youths.

A recently completed study measuring the change in total body calcium in a group of local students between their sixth- and eighth-grade years appears to have made a promising start toward that end.

Twenty sixth-graders from Nightingale Elementary School participated in the study, which included two Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry scans (each scan took about 10 minutes using very low radiation) and a pre-and post-survey in which the students answered questions about their nutrition knowledge and habits.

Kids are going through a big growth spurt at this age, and that is why they chose the 11-13-year age span, said Kolba, who conducted the study.

Special software so that the scan could be used on the children (typically the scans are performed on adults) was made possible with a portion of money, from federal and state funds, that the Orcutt Union School district was awarded at the end of 2002.

This grant was to help school districts in the state implement the guidelines of SB 19, a bill designed to improve nutrition and eating habits and increase physical activity among California children by eliminating soda and unhealthy snacks on school campuses.

"The study/s main focus was to make students, parents and the community aware that the window of opportunity for bone growth is short 77 until age 18 for 95 percent of the bone density a person has for life," said Klucker, who organized the study.

The first DEXA scan was done in May of 2003, according to Klucker, followed by a second scan in May 2004. During each session the students also filled out a survey and Felicia Kincaid, a radiologic technician at the center, also did height and weight checks.

Some of the final statistics for density include the following: Four students had decreases in bone mass during the year, two had the same high amount of bone density after bone scans, two had increases in bone density and were in the normal range for density, 12 had no change in bone density and remained in the normal range, and two had 85 percent to 86 percent bone density for their age group, which showed a low bone mass.

Pre-and post-survey results show the following: a 40 percent increase of students eating fruit or drinking 100 percent juice at school breakfast or break; a self-reported increase of 33 percent from students eating vegetables at lunch; a 4 percent increase in students reporting that they now check the labels for the percentage of juice in a drink; an 22 percent increase among students stating they "tried to eat more fruits and vegetables in the past month."

Used strictly for research purposes 77 Kolba noted that in general children at this age don/t need to have a DEXA scan 77 she said she felt pleased with the results.

"We did see an increase in total body calcium," she said.

Kolba said she also found the students/ self-reported survey results interesting, especially that about 75 percent of those who did the survey said they were making an effort to eat more healthy foods.

Such results show "you can have an influence on how kids are eating," she said.

Scientifically speaking, the study wasn/t ideal, said Kolba: There wasn/t a control group, for example; and most of the participants were boys who were tall and in the high weight range for their age, as opposed to girls of the same age who generally drink less milk than boys.

Still, she said, the study was something objective to show the students and their parents instead of just telling them to drink more milk.

"(This was a) really good demonstration of how to effectively use this kind of (grant) money," Kolba said.

Kolba said the best way to get calcium is through dairy products. The problem with trying to get calcium from green leafy vegetables is that humans don/t absorb the calcium from the vegetables well.

She recommended about 1,000 mg a day for children and teens. An 8 oz. glass of milk (skim as well as regular) provides 300 mg.

"Three glasses of milk nails it," she said; and soy milk and orange juice that specifically list they have added calcium are also good sources.

For kids who can/t drink cow/s milk or don/t like it, Kolba suggested they take a calcium supplement of 1,000 mg a day.

A good one to try is Tums, she added.

* Staff Writer Britt Fairchild can be reached at 739-2220 or bfairchild@pulitzer.net.

Nov. 4, 2004