Oral Dietary Supplements Use among Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Malaysia

Abstract

Healthcare workers (HCWs) must be aware of the latest data supporting or refuting the use of oral dietary supplements (ODS) in order to disseminate evidence-based health information and help patients make informed decisions. Nevertheless, there is relatively scant data on the prevalence of dietary supplement use among HCWs, the types of dietary supplements recommended to patients by HCWs, and their reasons for recommending these products, particularly during the COVID-19 outbreak. This study examined the prevalence of ODS use among surveyed HCWs, considered the types of ODS used and recommended by those HCWs, identified the reasons given by those HCWs for using or not using ODS, and determined whether those HCWs were recommending or not recommending ODS to their patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study targeted all HCWs working at a district hospital in Malaysia and was conducted via a self-administered online survey. The survey revealed that 67.3% of HCWs did not recommend ODS for patient use during the pandemic, despite 55.3% of HCWs reported personal use of ODS during the pandemic. Type of HCWs (P=0.001), monthly household income (P=0.019), prior ODS use (P<0.001) and recommendation of ODS to patients (P<0.001) were significantly associated with personal ODS use during the pandemic. Vitamin C was the most commonly used (81.3%) and recommended (95.0%) ODS. “To maintain overall health and wellness” was the most common reason for personal ODS use and recommendation to patients (83.3% & 79.2%). Given the increasing rate of ODS use during the pandemic, further research should be done so that evidence-based recommendations can be formulated to ensure patient safety.

HPLC-UV-MS/MS Profiling of Phenolics from Euphorbia nicaeensis (All.) Leaf and Stem and Its Antioxidant and Anti-Protein Denaturation Activities

“…In vitro tests showed that the plant has a strong anti-inflammatory effect, inhibiting the degradation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and chicken egg albumin (CEA), observed mainly in the stem extracts. Nuciferine (alkaloid) and fargesin (lignan) are among the main compounds identified in the stem extract according to chromatograms and MS/MS identification; they are phytochemical compounds known for their anti-inflammatory virtues [50,56] which proves the results of the antiinflammatory activities performed.…”

Evaluation of the relationship between nutritional habits, use of nutritional supplements and intuitive eating of healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Different studies conducted during the pandemic reported different results. Participants used multivitamins and Omega-3 in one study [33] while healthcare professionals in Malaysia used Vitamin C and multivitamins [34]. University students used multivitamins and vitamin C [35], and 21% of healthcare professionals in our country used vitamin D, 17% vitamin C and 9% vitamin B12 [30] as nutritional supplements [30,36].…”

A Review of Herbal Treatment for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders and Infection

“…However, more rigorous clinical trials are required to determine the optimal dosage, safety, and efficacy of these remedies, especially those suffering from COVID-19 or long COVID [57][58][59] . Concurrently, efforts should be made to standardize herbal preparations to ensure consistent quality [60,61] .…”