A Cross-Sectional Survey on Dietary Supplements Consumption among Italian Teen-Agers

Abstract

IntroductionIn the last decades, dietary supplements consumption has increased in the Western world for all age groups. The long-term potentially dangerous effects related to an indiscriminate consumption of dietary supplements are still unknown and are becoming a matter of public health concern. Therefore, the aims of the present study were: to explore the contribution of dietary supplements to micronutrient daily intake, and to evaluate awareness and knowledge about dietary supplements.MethodsParticipants (age ranging from 14 to 18 years) were recruited among students attending 8 high schools in the province of Frosinone (Italy). An anonymous questionnaire, composed of 12 multiple-choice items, was administered to all the participants. T-test and the analysis of variance (ANOVA) were performed to describe differences between means of the groups, while the chi-square test was used to compare observed and expected frequencies. The logistic regression model, aimed at identifying the characteristics of potential consumers of dietary supplements,ResultsA total of 686 teenagers (288 males and 398 females, average age: 17,89±0,91 years) participated in the study. The 83,6% of participants affirmed to be aware of dietary supplements. 239 participants consumed dietary supplements: 118 males and 121 females. 49,1% of females consumed dietary supplements less than twice a week, whereas 43,6% of males consumed dietary supplements from 2 to 5 times per week. Statistically significant differences emerged between the genders with respect to the source of information regarding dietary supplements, the perceived indications for their use, and the choice of the store/place to purchase them.DiscussionFindings in the present study provide insight into the consumption of dietary supplements among young Italians, highlighting the need to foster further awareness among adolescents about the correct use of dietary supplements, especially in terms of indications and contraindications.

The Prevalence of Dietary Supplement Use Among Elementary, Junior High, and High School Students: A Nationwide Survey in Japan

“…In the present study, a nationwide survey of dietary supplement use in elementary, junior high, and high school students was conducted. The prevalence of current and previous dietary supplement use in overall school-aged children across Japan was 21.6% (current use, 16.4%; previous use, 5.2%), which was lower than for those of the same age in the United States (31–46.2%) [ 16 , 17 ], Italy (34.8%) [ 18 ], and Korea (34%) [ 19 ], but consistent with the results from Australia (20.1–23.5%) [ 20 ] and an urban Japanese city of Nara prefecture study (20.4%) [ 21 ]. Not only was the prevalence of dietary supplement use in each grade similar, but the increase in use in line with increasing age as shown in the Nara study was also replicated.…”

Reliability of Self-Administered Questionnaire on Dietary Supplement Consumption in Malaysian Adolescents

“…The global market of DS is a multibillion-dollar commerce, with the Asia Pacific being the second largest market accounting for 31% of the total market share [ 6 ]. Studies established that there are substantial national variations regarding the prevalence of dietary supplement consumption in children and adolescents; 20% in Australia [ 7 ], 32% to 37% in the United States [ 8 , 9 ], 35% in Italy [ 10 ], 20% to 22% in Japan [ 11 , 12 ] and 33% in South Korea [ 13 ]. Specifically, the prevalence of vitamin/mineral supplements (54%) and food supplements (40%) intakes are more pronounced among Malaysian adolescents [ 14 ].…”

“…To date, many studies have documented the use of supplements and their associated determinants among adolescents and young adults. Most studies over the past 10 years have been conducted in the United States [ 8 , 9 ], Europe [ 10 , 20 , 21 , 22 ] and Australia [ 7 ] with limited studies conducted in the Asian countries [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 23 ]. However, the external reliability of most questionnaires utilized in earlier studies has not been well documented.…”

Characterisation of vitamin and mineral supplement users differentiated according to their motives for using supplements: results of the German National Nutrition Monitoring (NEMONIT)

“…The uncontrolled use of supplements in the general population may represent a health risk as there is increasing evidence that high intakes of some dietary supplements, such as vitamin E or vitamin A, may be more harmful than beneficial (3)(4)(5) . One common finding among studies on supplement use in Europe is that the major motives for supplement use are related to health (6)(7)(8)(9)(10) . Furthermore, it has been reported that supplement use is more frequent in women than in men (1,11,12) , in older people than in younger people (1,12) and in people with higher levels of education compared with those with lower levels of education (13,14) .…”