[Factors associated with nutritional supplement consumption in Mexican women aged 12 to 49 years]

The objectives of this analysis are to identify the types of nutritional supplements (NS) commonly used and explore the associations between NS consumption and socio-demographic characteristics, nutritional status, measured as BMI, and anemia in a nationally representative sample Mexican women aged 12 to 49 years (n = 15,936) who participated in the Mexican National Nutrition Survey in 1999. Data on NS consumption and the other characteristics of interest were collected. We calculated the probability (P) of supplement consumption using logistic regression. For the statistical analysis characteristics at the individual and household level were included in the statistical models, and adjusted for the study design. Interaction effects were also explored. Multiple mixed vitamin and mineral supplements were the most commonly consumed (36.7%) followed by vitamins only (34.3%). Married women were significantly (p < 0.05) more likely (P = 0.16; p < 0.001) to consume NS compared to unmarried women, as were those with more access to public and private health care (P = 0.18; p = 0.010), with higher education level (P = 0.20; p = 0.004) and living in the South region (P = 0.20; p = 0.003). Anemia modified the association between supplement consumption and socioeconomic status (SES) (p = 0.016), non anemic women having greater probabilities of NS consumption. These results suggest that NS use among Mexican women is associated with better living conditions. On the other hand, we also found that women living in the South region, the poorest region of the country, had higher probability of NS consumption compared to the North region. This could be related to participation in food assistance programs; however we were unable to explore this potential explanation. This information will be used to further study trends, risks and health benefits in this population of the use of nutritional supplements.