Dietary supplement information and intention to continue and recommend supplements

Area of Science:

• Consumer Health
• Dietary Supplements
• Health Communication

Background:

• Dietary supplements are widely used, but consumer understanding of their safety and regulation, particularly compared to medications, is often limited.
• The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) provides resources for consumers, but their impact on user behavior and recommendations requires investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of reading an FDA-based pamphlet on consumers' intention to use and recommend dietary supplements.
• To assess if health status influences the pamphlet's impact on supplement recommendation intentions.

Main Methods:

• A posttest-only, two-group design study was conducted with 113 adult participants.
• One group read the 'Tips for the Savvy Supplement User' pamphlet; the other served as a control group.
• Participants' intentions to use and recommend supplements were measured post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Participants who read the pamphlet were less likely to recommend supplements compared to the control group, a difference of 23.7% among those with pre-existing health problems.
• The pamphlet significantly decreased the intention to recommend supplements among individuals who initially perceived supplements as safer than medications.
• This suggests an educational intervention can moderate consumer recommendation behavior.

Conclusions:

• Reading FDA-provided information can decrease the likelihood of consumers recommending dietary supplements.
• This intervention shows promise for promoting safer dietary supplement use by consumers, particularly those with health conditions.
• Public health initiatives should consider utilizing such educational materials to improve consumer decision-making regarding supplements.