Knowledge and Behaviors of Family Physicians and Internal Medicine Physicians Regarding the Use of Magnesium for Supplementation and Treatment

Abstract

Objective: To identify indications for magnesium use and assess physicians' knowledge of different formulations of magnesium in medication and supplements Method: A descriptive study was conducted online via Google Forms between January 18 and April 20, 2023. The study population consisted of family physicians (general practitioners, residents, and specialists) and internal medicine physicians (residents and specialists) in Ankara. All physicians were attempted to be reached, and no sampling calculation was made. The survey consisted of 15 questions. Results: A total of 119 physcians completed the survey. The mean age of the physicians who participated in our study was 30.47±4.94 years (min=25, max=48) and 62.2% were female. Of them, 69.7% were family physicians, 30.3% were internal medicine physicians, 77.3% were research assistants and 22.7% were specialists. The most common indications for magnesium treatment were muscle cramps (89.1%) and hypomagnesemia (87.4%); the most commonly used preparations were magnesium oxide (79.8%) and magnesium sulfate (32.8%). The most common indications of using magnesium were cramps (32.4%) and insomnia (13.5%); the most frequently used preparations were magnesium oxide (26.3%), magnesium citrate+malate+glycinate (13.1%), and magnesium biglycinate (13.1%). Physicians who had been practicing for more than 5 years prescribed magnesium more (p=0.010), recommended magnesium supplements more (p=0.020), and used magnesium supplements themselves more (p=0.025) than physicians who had been practicing for 5 years or less. It was found that specialists questioned patients' use of vitamin-mineral supplements more (p=0.044) and recommended magnesium supplements more (p=0.001) than residents. It was found that family physicians prescribed the magnesium used by patients more (p<0.001) and recommended more magnesium-rich nutrition to patients (<0.001) than internal medicine physicians. Conclusion: The physicians who participated in our study preferred magnesium forms covered by social security institution reimbursement for their patients, whereas they preferred forms with higher bioavailability for their own use. It was observed that family physicians provided more magnesium-rich dietary recommendations and prescribed the magnesium used by the patients than internal medicine physicians.