Australians don't get enough calcium from the food and drinks in their diet, according to new data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Linda Fardell, ABS head of health statistics, said: 'Today's release presents insights into whether Australians are meeting their nutritional requirements for a variety of vitamins and minerals. The last time we did this analysis was over a decade ago.'
Over 60 per cent of Australians fell short of meeting their calcium needs from their diet in 2023. This was also the case in 2011-12. Calcium is important for maintaining strong, healthy bones. Diets that are low in calcium are linked to an increased risk of developing osteoporosis.
Over three-quarters of females and over half of males did not meet their calcium requirements. This figure increased to about ninety percent for females aged 12-17 years and 50 years and over. More calcium is needed at these ages to support bone growth for adolescents and prevent bone deterioration in older adults.
| Males (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | Females (%) | 95% confidence interval (%) (low) | 95% confidence interval (%) (high) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-4 | 5.3 | 0.8 | 9.8 | 10.6 | 2.8 | 18.4 |
| 5-11 | 25.3 | 17.6 | 33.0 | 38.1 | 30.0 | 46.2 |
| 12-17 | 64.8 | 56.5 | 73.1 | 93.2 | 89.2 | 97.2 |
| 18-29 | 57.3 | 49.6 | 65.0 | 81.1 | 74.1 | 88.1 |
| 30-49 | 53.2 | 48.5 | 57.9 | 70.3 | 65.5 | 75.1 |
| 50-64 | 48.5 | 42.7 | 54.3 | 90.7 | 87.4 | 94.0 |
| 65-74 | 64.7 | 58.3 | 71.1 | 87.6 | 83.3 | 91.9 |
| 75 years and over | 74.1 | 66.1 | 82.1 | 87.2 | 82.4 | 92.0 |
'Iron and folate are other nutrients where females have higher requirements and lower intakes in some age groups.
'For example, 48 per cent of females aged 18-29 years did not meet their iron requirements compared to 8 per cent of males in the same age group,' Ms Fardell said.
Overall, fewer people are meeting their iron requirements in 2023 than in 2011-12. Low iron intakes can lead to fatigue, anaemia and decreased immunity.
This report also offers insights into other vitamins and minerals. For example:
- 16 per cent of people did not meet their thiamin (vitamin B1) requirements
- 20 per cent of people did not meet their riboflavin (vitamin B2) requirements
- 23 per cent of people did not meet their vitamin A requirements
- 31 per cent of people did not meet their magnesium requirements
- 48 per cent of males did not meet their zinc requirements.
Children aged between 2 and 11 years generally had adequate intakes of most vitamins and minerals, except for calcium. Teenagers and adults were progressively less likely with age to meet their nutritional requirements.
