Dietary Supplement Use in a Large, Representative Sample of the US Armed Forces

Dietary supplement (DS) use is prevalent among the US Armed Forces personnel, but representative cross-service comparisons and characteristics of personnel using DSs are limited.

Examine DS use and characteristics associated with use in a representative sample of US Armed Forces personnel (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard) using data from the 2011 Department of Defense Survey of Health-Related Behaviors.

A stratified random sample of service members (SMs) was contacted and asked to complete a questionnaire assessing personal characteristics and DS use.

Overall, 69% of the 39,877 SMs reported using DSs ≥1 time per week. The most commonly used DSs were multivitamin or multiminerals (50%), antioxidants (34%), individual vitamins or minerals (33%), bodybuilding supplements (27%), fish oils (26%), herbals (16%), and weight-loss supplements (16%). Multiple logistic regression indicated overall DS use was higher among women, those with higher educational levels, Marine Corps SMs, officers, those with higher body mass index, those engaged in greater physical activity and weight training, and people in weight control programs. DS use was lower when peer groups or leadership discouraged substance abuse.

DS use was considerably higher in the US Armed Forces compared with civilian populations, although many demographic and lifestyle factors associated with use were similar. Some categories of DSs extensively used by SMs such as bodybuilding supplements have been associated with adverse events. Discouraging substance abuse through peer groups and leadership actions may reduce use of unnecessary or dangerous DSs.