Dietary supplement users vary in attitudes and sources of dietary supplement information in East and West geographic regions: a cross-sectional study

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Alexandra G Kazaks⁴  Peter J Havel³  Kimber Stanhope³  Judith S Stern²  Mary R Rozga¹ 

[1] Present address: Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, 2125 Anthony Hall, East Lansing, MI 48825, USA;Department of Nutrition, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA;Department of Molecular Biosciences: SVM, Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA;Department of Nutrition and Exercise Science, Bastyr University, 14500 Juanita Dr. NE, Kenmore, WA 98028, USA

关键词: Practices;    Attitudes;    Dietary supplement knowledge;    Dietary supplements/utilization;   

Others  :  1221046
DOI  :  10.1186/1472-6882-13-200

 received in 2012-10-23, accepted in 2013-07-25,  发布年份 2013

【 摘 要 】

Background

Over 50% of adults currently use dietary supplements (DS) but manufacturers do not have to prove the safety or efficacy of a DS before it is marketed. Therefore, consumers may be exposed to inaccurate DS information, may lack confidence in choosing appropriate DS and may seek advice for usage. The objective of this study was to examine trends in usage, attitudes, and sources of information regarding DS according to geographic location, demographic group, and lifestyle choices.

Methods

Eligible individuals completed a 10-item researcher-developed survey tool to determine DS use, sources of DS information, and DS-related knowledge and attitudes over the previous year. Healthy participants (637 individuals aged 21–75 years) from two population-based cohorts that had been recruited for lipoprotein assessment studies at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts and University of California at Davis. Outcome measures included participants’ use, beliefs regarding essentiality of DS, confidence in choosing appropriate DS, and sources of information on DS. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were utilized to examine differences in survey responses between groups.

Results

Of the total population 72.7% reported taking dietary supplements in the previous year. Those living on the West Coast (80.3%) had greater use than those living on the East Coast (60.7%). Those on the East Coast were more likely to believe DS were essential to health (48.7%) and to feel confident in choosing DS that were appropriate for them (51.0%). Overall, physicians were the most frequent source of DS information for more than 50% of participants on both coasts.

Conclusion

Because DS usage is widespread, health care providers and nutrition educators must encourage patients to discuss their DS use and be equipped to provide information conducive to safe, efficacious consumption. Tailoring interventions for healthcare providers, media sources, industry, and the public may allow for dissemination of up-to-date information regarding DS.

【 授权许可】

   
2013 Rozga et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

【 参考文献 】

• [1]Gahche J, Burt V, Hughes J, Yetley E, Dwyer J, Picciano MF, McDowell M, Sempos C: Dietary supplement use among U.S. adults has increased since NHANES III (1988–1994). NCHS Data Brief 2011, 61:1-8.
• [2]Marinac JS, Buchinger CL, Godfrey LA, Wooten JM, Sun C, Willsie SK: Herbal products and dietary supplements: a survey of use, attitudes, and knowledge among older adults. J Am Osteopath Assoc 2007, 107:13-22.
• [3]Ferrucci LM, McCorkle R, Smith T, Stein KD, Cartmel B: Factors related to the use of dietary supplements by cancer survivors. J Altern Complement Med 2009, 15:673-680.
• [4]Harnack LJ, Pydell SA, Stang J: Prevalence of use of herbal products by adults in the Minneapolis/St Paul, Minn, Metropolitan area. Mayo Clin Proc 2001, 76:688-694.
• [5]US Food and Drug Association: Dietary Supplements. Silver Springs, MD: US Food and Drug Administration; 2012. http://www.fda.gov/Food/DietarySupplements/default.htm webcite
• [6]National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Get the facts: using dietary supplements wisely. Bethesda, MD: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; 2012. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/supplements/wiseuse.htm webcite
• [7]Dickinson A: Nutritional supplements for health promotion and disease prevention: a policy perspective. Washington DC: Council for Responsible Nutrition; 2012. [From the benefits of nutritional supplements Council for Responsible Nutrition 2002] http://www.crnusa.org/benpdfs/CRN001benefits_policy.pdf webcite
• [8]Conner M, Kirk SFL, Cade JE, Barrett JH: Why do women use dietary supplements? The use of the theory of planned behaviour to explore beliefs about their use. Soc Sci Med 2001, 53:621-633.
• [9]Pettigrew AC, O’Brien King M, McGee K, Rudolph C: Complementary therapy use by women’s health clinic clients. Altern Ther Health Med 2004, 10:50-55.
• [10]Archer EL, Boyle DK: Herb and supplement use among the retail population of an independent, urban herb store. J Holist Nurs 2008, 26:27-35.
• [11]Wu CH, Wang CC, Kennedy J: Changes in herb and dietary supplement use in the U.S. adult population: a comparison of the 2002 and 2007 National Health Interview Surveys. Clin Ther 2011, 33(11):1749-1758.
• [12]Bailey RL, Gahche JJ, Lentino CV, Lentino CV, Dwyer JT, Engel JS, Thomas PR, Betz JM, Sempos CT, Picciano MF: Dietary supplement use in the United States, 2003–2006. J Nutr 2011, 141:261-266.
• [13]Shelley BM, Sussman AL, Williams RL, Segal AR, Crabtree BF: “They don’t ask me so I don’t tell them: patient-clinician communication about traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine. Ann Fam Med 2009, 7(2):139-147.
• [14]Mehta DH, Gardiner PM, Phillips PR, McCarthy EP: Herbal and dietary supplement disclosure to health care providers by individuals with chronic conditions. J Altern Complement Med 2008, 14(10):1263-1269.
• [15]Drivdahl CE, Miser WF: The use of alternative health care by a family practice population. J Am Board Fam Pract 1998, 11:193-199.
• [16]Lohse B, Stotts JL, Priebe JR: Survey of herbal use by Kansas and Wisconsin WIC participants reveals moderate, appropriate use and identifies herbal education needs. J Am Diet Assoc 2006, 106:227-237.
• [17]Kemper KJ, Amata-Kynvi A, Dvorkin L, Whelan JS, Woolf A, Samuels RC, Hibberd P: Herbs and other dietary supplements: healthcare professionals’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Altern Ther Health Med 2003, 9:42-49.
• [18]Kemper KJ, Gardiner P, Gobble J, Woods C: Expertise about herbs and dietary supplements among diverse health professionals. BMC Complement Altern Med 2006, 6:15. BioMed Central Full Text
• [19]Cellini M, Attipoe S, Seales P, Gray R, Ward A, Stephens M, Deuster PA: Dietary supplements: physician knowledge and adverse event reporting. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2012, 45(1):23-28.