Epidemiological assessment of an intervention trial to increase calcium intake in female college students

An educational intervention trial to increase calcium (Ca) intake was conducted on female college students taking a dietician course and the efficacy of the trial was assessed by a prospective cohort study. The one hundred and eight 18- or 19-year-old students were divided into two cohorts, i.e., a control group and an intervention group. The educational intervention was given to the intervention group only and both group received 3 surveys, before the intervention (baseline, BL), 1 week after the intervention (WAI), and 1 year after the intervention (YAI). The amount of Ca intake at BL did not differ significantly between the cohorts. The Ca intake of the control group did not change significantly in the 3 surveys. The intervention group significantly increased Ca intake at WAI and maintained a higher level of Ca intake at the time of YAI. These results suggest some efficacy of the educational intervention to increase Ca intake in the female college students.