According to the students and school nurse of Mankkaa School in Espoo, Finland, young people are interested in health-related matters such as healthy diet and combating fatigue. Most of them are not that excited about vitamins, but they will take a supplement if given to them in connection with a meal.

vitamin d The students we interviewed at the school are well aware of the importance of vitamin D. The role of the sun in the creation of vitamin D and the effect of vitamin D on the bones are discussed in biology class, and osteoporosis is included in the health and hygiene curriculum in comprehensive school.

According to Arja Böhme, the school nurse at Mankkaa School, students rarely ask her about vitamins.

“Many young people want to have a more healthy diet and often consider a vegetarian diet for example. They also often ask whether fatigue can be caused by lack of iron.”

Pauliina Varjonen, 15, has come to meet the nurse to discuss issues that interest many adults, such as blood pressure and haemoglobin. Nina Siukosaari, 15, thinks that the young are at a very susceptible age when it comes to health.

“If I feel that there might be something wrong with me, I want to see the school nurse to make sure that I am healthy,” she says.

Vitamin D supplement
necessary in winter

The school has a much-debated soft drink vending machine, and the students can buy snacks from the cafeteria. Robert Koskenniemi, 15, tells that the student body conducted a survey to find out whether the students eat school meals or not.

“The students either eat the meals and don’t snack or skip the meals most of the time and just buy snacks. According to the survey, the division among the students is pretty clear,” Robert describes the results.

Many students trust that drinking enough milk and eating fish every now and then provides them with enough vitamin D. They do not think tablets are necessary.

However, the school nurse discusses the importance of vitamin D even with the younger students.

“I always emphasise the importance of vitamin D when I meet students’ parents during an appointment. I also make sure that families are informed that vitamin D supplements are recommended during the winter months,” Arja Böhme says.

Whenever she meets students, she asks them whether they take any vitamin D supplements.

“Many students say that they do not. Or that they are taking some kind of supplement that their mother gives them.”

Young girls
at risk

Researchers are concerned about the situation. Master of Food Sciences Heli Viljakainen studied vitamin D intake of young people in her dissertation. According to her results, young girls in particular are not getting the recommended level of vitamin D.

“There was seasonal variation in the blood serum level of vitamin D and bone formation markers in adolescent girls. The concentrations were the highest in September and the lowest in March. There was similar seasonal variation in the bone mineral density of the thigh bone and the lumbar spine.”

According to Viljakainen’s research, teenage girls require 15 µg of vitamin D daily. It is difficult to get this dose from diet alone.

Text Else Turunen | Photos Jorma Marstio