Background: The aim of this study was to specify the amounts and the types of dietary supplements (DS) taken by children and define the attitudes of caregivers towards DS and towards administering them to children aged 3–12. An analysis of the reasons for using DSs, and of expected benefits and awareness of health risks associated with administering DSs, was conducted. Methods: The online questionnaire collected information on sociodemographic characteristics and use of dietary supplements. Multiple analyses were used to describe the relationship between demographic factors and dietary supplement intake. In particular cases, strength and correlation were also calculated. Results: In total, 54.89% of participants were administering dietary supplements to children at the time of completing the questionnaire—a weak linear relationship (Cramer’s V = 0.21) between child’s age and the child taking dietary supplements. Respondents for whom DSs are equivalents of medicines tend not to see that dietary supplements may cause side-effects and interact. Conclusions: Parents who administer dietary supplements to children show a tendency to have more trust in this type of product than the people who do not do so. It was also confirmed that the people who take dietary supplements transfer their behavioral patterns by also administering them to their children.

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Sweetening agents (SA) and sweeteners are major additives used in the production of dietary supplements (DS), they fulfill both technological and organoleptic functions. The aim of this study is to identify the types of SA and sweeteners found in DS intended for children and to determine the secondary role of them. The study was performed on data from the documentation of representative samples of DS (N = 315) available on the Polish market. The results show that 75.24% of the products contained at least one SA or sweetener. Sucrose is the SA most frequently used in DS production. The empirical findings show that the type of sweetening ingredient correlates closely with the formulation of products, which in turn has to be suited to consumption abilities of the target group as well as to the children’s taste requirements. The crucial need for analysis of the composition of DS is emphasized in the light of high consumption rates of these products as well as limited regulations and policy.

Background: in the context of the ongoing obesity epidemic and increase in cases of metabolic disorders among the population, it is significant, from the health, nutritional, and economic point of view, to a look at the habits of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption of adults in Poland. This study aims to determine the sweetened beverages, which are the most popular and most frequently consumed by Polish consumers in correlation with sex, age, income, and education of the studied group of adults. Methods: The survey study was based on the Computer-Assisted Web Interview (CAWI) and was conducted on a representative sample of 500 adult Poles, within the period from May to June 2020. The fundamental stage of the survey included the question, which asked the respondents to assess the frequency of consuming selected eleven sweetened or unsweetened beverages. Socio-economic characteristics of the respondents were considered when evaluating whether these factors aligned with the behaviors regarding the frequency of beverage consumption. Results: The consumption of SSBs tends to decrease along with consumer’s age. A decrease, which could be associated with level of consumers’ education level and correlation with income could not be verified. Adults drink sugar sweetened beverages less often than younger consumers, and women drink them less often than men. Conclusions: Identification of the frequency of sugar-sweetened beverage intake can indicate directions for further national or regional action against the spread of obesity. Moreover, attention should be drawn to young males who consume beverages abundant in high sugar most often.

Streszczenie: Szacowany wzrost do 2020 r. rynku suplementów diety będzie wynosił 8% rocznie, osiągając wartość około 5,04 mld zł w 2020. Znaczącą pozycję w tej grupie asortymentowej zajmują produkty przeznaczone dla dzieci do 10 roku życia. W związku z prostą procedurą wprowadzania suplementów diety (SD) do obrotu w ostatnich 3 latach znacznie poszerzyła się liczba dostępnych produktów, w tym także grupa suplementów dla dzieci. W ramach niniejszej pracy przeprowadzono wstępne badania nad ilością i rodzajami suplementów dla dzieci na polskim rynku. Dokonano analizy składu, przeznaczenia i formy preparatów. Poznanie wielkości rynku tej grupy produktów jest celem nadrzędnym i związanym z uświadomieniem społeczeństwu szans i zagrożeń płynących z suplementacji. Zagrożeniem może być przedawkowanie wynikające głównie z braku wystarczającej wiedzy o składzie żywności wśród dorosłych aplikujących wybrane preparaty dzieciom czy też braku należytej kontroli nad racjonowaniem suplementów.