Knowledge About Calcium-Rich Foods in Adolescent Girls in Charsadda – A Cross-Sectional Study

Calcium is a critical nutrient for adolescent bone development and overall health, yet intake often remains below recommended levels. Objectives: To identify and list calcium-containing foods available in Charsadda and to assess the knowledge level of adolescent girls about calcium foods and calcium nutrition. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to list all foods and food products available in Charsadda. This study was conducted at two different time points in the same year, in the summer months and in the winter months of 2021. The purpose of the survey at two different time-points was to recognize and list all possible available calcium-rich foods in the locality throughout the year. This phase of the study was followed by cross-sectional surveys to find out pre-adolescent girls’ knowledge about calcium-rich foods already identified in the first phase of the study. A multi-stage stratified sample (n=78) of pre-adolescent school-going girls completed the survey using a pre-tested questionnaire. Results: A high number (174) of calcium-rich foods and products were available at the local market and households of Charsadda city. Overall, pre-adolescent girls’ knowledge about calcium-rich foods was poor. Only 60%, 45.3%, 46.7%, and 42.7% of the girls could identify, respectively, milk, cheese, yoghurt and lassi/malt-drink as calcium-rich foods. Most plant-based items were poorly recognized. Conclusions: Despite a high number of calcium-rich foods available in the local market of Charsadda, the knowledge level of school-going pre-adolescent girls was poor, warranting further community-based awareness and education programs on calcium nutrition.