Dietary Supplement Use in Middle-aged and Older Adults

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Nutritional Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Dietary supplement use is prevalent among older adults, despite limited evidence of clinical benefits.
• Understanding the patterns and predictors of supplement use in this demographic is crucial for public health initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of dietary supplement consumption in a national sample of U.S. adults aged 50 and older.
• To identify demographic, behavioral, and clinical factors associated with dietary supplement use in this population.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study utilizing data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and its associated Health Care and Nutrition Survey (HCNS).
• Analysis included multivariable regression models to identify factors associated with supplement use in a weighted sample of over 71 million individuals.

Main Results:

• A high prevalence of dietary supplement use was observed, with 84.6% of participants being regular users.
• Multivitamins were the most common supplement, followed by vitamin D, fish oil, calcium, vitamin C, and vitamin B12.
• Factors associated with increased use included older age (75+), female sex, higher education, alcohol consumption, physical activity, regular medication use, and arthritis.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights that over four out of five middle-aged and older Americans use dietary supplements.
• Specific demographic, behavioral, and clinical factors are linked to higher rates of supplement consumption.
• The findings suggest a potential overuse of dietary supplements in individuals over 50, warranting further investigation due to a lack of proven health benefits.