Dietary Supplement Use Among Health Care Professionals
Author Information
Author(s): Paula Gardiner, Charles Woods, Kathi J Kemper
Primary Institution: Harvard Medical School
Hypothesis
Dietary supplement use would be more common among female health care professionals and middle-aged or older health care professionals.
Conclusion
Women, older clinicians, those with higher knowledge, and those who talk with patients about dietary supplements had higher use of dietary supplements.
Supporting Evidence
- 81% of health care professionals surveyed reported using dietary supplements in the last week.
- Use varied by profession, with the highest rates among nurses (88%) and the lowest among pharmacists (66%).
- Factors associated with higher supplement use included older age, female gender, and high knowledge of dietary supplements.
Takeaway
Health care professionals often use dietary supplements, especially women and older professionals, and their personal use may affect how they talk to patients about these supplements.
Methodology
Cross-sectional survey of health care professionals enrolled in an online course about dietary supplements.
Potential Biases
Self-reported data may overestimate or underestimate actual supplement use.
Limitations
Results may not be generalizable to all health care professionals as the sample may include highly motivated individuals.
Participant Demographics
Average age was 40.3 years; 25% men, 83% Caucasian, 8% Asian, 5% African American.
Statistical Information
Statistical Significance
p<0.01
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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