Hypertension is an increasing health problem in children along with obesity and metabolic risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease (i.e. lipids, glucose, and insulin). An adequate dairy food, in particular calcium from dairy foods, has been reported to diminish hypertension and obesity, as well as risk factors associated with diabetes and heart disease. National data consistently document that calcium intake is not adequate in children, especially in minority children and these children show increased levels of hypertension, obesity, and metabolic risk factors compared to the majority. The primary aim of this application is to provide an intervention using increased dairy (and thus calcium intake) to diminish hypertension in multiethnic, elementary school children in grades 3-5. Secondary aims are to evaluate the impact of the intervention on obesity and risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. We propose to randomize 26 elementary schools to either intervention or control. Children at the intervention schools will receive 2 servings of dairy foods (approximately 600 mg calcium) per day as snacks at school for 6 months. Children at the control schools will receive no snacks. Our primary hypothesis is that children in the intervention schools will show smaller increases in systolic blood pressure subsequent to the intervention compared to children in the control schools. We have a number of secondary aims that are important themselves and will increase our understanding of the effects of dairy products on risk factors. We expect obesity as measured by BMI and percent body fat to show smaller increases in the dairy group compared to the control group in children who are overweight or obese. Additionally, we expect decreases in blood lipids, glucose, and insulin in the dairy group compared to the control group, especially in children with elevated values at baseline. If successful, this trial will illustrate a simple, minimal interventions strategy that can be easily disseminated and will diminish health risk in children. ? ? ?
