Complementary health approaches and dietary supplement use trends among U.S. college students: A brief report

Examine differences over time in use of complementary health approaches (CHA) and dietary supplements among college students.

Two samples of undergraduate students (Sample 1, N = 370; Sample 2, N = 482) from a midsized Midwestern university.

Using stratified random sampling, at two time points (spring 2008, spring 2019), students were surveyed. Frequency of CHA and supplement use in the past year were assessed and compared across the two time periods.

Of the CHAs compared, 53% had changed in frequency of use with only the practice of yoga significantly increasing. As for supplements, 78% changed in their frequency of use with the rate of melatonin being the only significant increase.

Although the reported use of many CHAs and supplements appeared to change in the time period between assessments, findings suggest that students still report using several CHA practices and, to a lesser extent, supplements.