Dietary Supplement Use among Australian Adults: Findings from the 2011–2012 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey

Abstract

(1) Background: Supplement use is prevalent worldwide; however, there are limited studies examining the characteristics of people who take supplements in Australia. This study aimed to investigate the demographics, lifestyle habits and health status of supplement users; (2) Methods: Adults aged >19 years (n = 4895) were included from the 2011–2012 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS). A supplement user was defined as anyone who took one or more supplements on either of two 24-h dietary recalls. Poisson regression was used to estimate the prevalence ratio (PR) of supplement use, according to demographics, lifestyle characteristics and health status of participants; (3) Results: Supplement use was reported by 47% of women and 34% of men, and supplement use was higher among older age groups, among those with higher education levels and from areas reflecting the least socioeconomic disadvantaged. An association was found between blood pressure and supplement use; (4) Conclusions: A substantial proportion of Australians take supplements. Further investigation into the social, psychological and economic determinants that motivate the use of supplements is required, to ensure appropriate use of supplements among Australian adults.

The Role of n-3 Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, and Interactions with Statins

“…An international survey of n -3 LC PUFA supplement users in ten countries (U.S., U.K., Germany, Italy, China, South Korea, Russia, Australia, Brazil, Mexico) found that usage varied from 14% of the adult population in Germany to 38% in Australia [ 57 ]. A high proportion of n -3 LC PUFA supplement use has also been found by other researchers [ 58 ]. In most countries, users started taking supplements due to advice from a physician.…”

Nutrient Supplement Use among the Chinese Population: A Cross-Sectional Study of the 2010–2012 China Nutrition and Health Surveillance

“…The overall level of NS use was low, only 0.71% of the Chinese population reported using NS in the previous month. This proportion was significantly lower than the overall prevalence of dietary supplement use reported in the developed countries [ 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 ]. In the United States, the NS use proportion was 52% in 2011–2012 [ 36 ].…”

“…In the United States, the NS use proportion was 52% in 2011–2012 [ 36 ]. Previous studies reported that the NS use proportion in Australia was 47% among women and 34% among men in 2011–2012 [ 37 ], and 43.2%, 20.1%, 23.5% among adults, adolescents, children in 2014–2015 respectively [ 38 ]. The reports showed that the NS use proportion in Japan was 11.0% among males and 16.4% among females in 2003 [ 39 ], and 45.8% among older adults in 2008 [ 40 ].…”

“…Despite comprehensive studies having been conducted on the role of NS in health, and NS has been commonly used in developed countries, including United States, Britain, Australia, Denmark, etc. [ 35 , 36 , 37 ], little is known about the prevalence of NS use in China. Understanding the characteristics of NS users can help develop effective public health interventions.…”

Food Supplements for Weight Loss: Risk Assessment of Selected Impurities

“…Vitamins, minerals, nutritional and herbal supplement sales have had a significant increase worldwide, due, in part, to the general misperception that natural indicates harmless [1][2][3]. Greater awareness about healthy ageing and the broader availability of products, as well as trends towards healthy lifestyles and disease prevention lead to an increase in vitamins and food supplements consumption.…”