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Use of Dietary Supplements and Influencing Factors in Children
Orkut Koç1, Merve Tosyalı1, Şule Gökçe1
1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Children's Hospital, 35100 Izmir, Turkey.
Insights
Approximately one-third of children use dietary supplements, with vitamin-mineral preparations being most common. Pediatricians should educate parents on appropriate use to counter media misinformation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Public Health
- Dietary Supplements
Background:
- Dietary supplement use is increasing across all age groups.
- Parents increasingly use supplements for their children for various reasons.
- Understanding children's supplement usage patterns and parental attitudes is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of dietary supplement use in children.
- To identify factors influencing children's dietary supplement consumption.
- To assess parental attitudes and information sources regarding these products.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 1038 children (aged 2-18) and 1000 parents.
- Face-to-face interviews and comprehensive questionnaires were utilized.
- Data analysis was performed using SPSS 25.0.
Main Results:
- 32.5% of children used dietary supplements; vitamin-mineral preparations were most common (23.2%).
- Supplement use correlated significantly with child's age, BMI, and parental education/economic status.
- Parents perceived vitamin-mineral and omega-3 products as beneficial for development, often informed by doctors but also by media.
Conclusions:
- About one-third of children in the study population used dietary supplements.
- There is a need to raise parental awareness regarding appropriate supplement use, guided by physicians.
- Combating misinformation, particularly from media, is essential for safe supplement practices in children.
Introduction:
In recent years, the use of dietary supplements has increased in all age groups. Parents may also use these supplements for their children for different reasons. This study aims to determine the use of dietary supplements by children, the factors affecting this use, and the attitudes of parents about these products.
Methods:
A total of 1038 children aged 2-18 years without any chronic disease who presented to the pediatric outpatient clinics of Ege University Children's Hospital were included in this study. Parents (n = 1000) who agreed to participate in the study were interviewed face-to-face, and a comprehensive questionnaire including questions about children's use of dietary supplements, sociodemographic characteristics, and parents' attitudes towards dietary supplements was administered. Analyses were performed with SPSS 25.0.
Results:
The mean age of the children included in our study was 8.6 ± 4.8 years, and 51% (n = 510) were male. It was found that 32.5% of the children used nutritional supplements, and vitamin-mineral preparations (23.2%) were the most frequently used. Omega-3 (19.3%) and immune support products (9.4%) were the second and third most frequently used supplements, respectively. A significant relationship was found between the use of dietary supplements and the child's age, body weight, body mass index, parents' educational level, being health worker, and economic status (p < 0.05). It was found that most of the families thought that vitamin-mineral and omega-3 products were beneficial for growth and development and that they received information from doctors most frequently before taking these products. However, it was found that families followed the media as the second most frequent source of information for these products.
Conclusions:
Approximately one-third of the children in our study use dietary supplements. It is very important to raise awareness among families about the use of these products when necessary and with the recommendation of a physician. To prevent families from using dietary supplements that are not necessary for their children, especially due to misinformation in the media, pediatricians should provide correct information to parents about these products at every clinic visit. A concerted effort is needed from policy makers, media organizations, and health care providers to guide the safe use of DS. The results obtained from this study will shed light on future randomized controlled prospective studies.
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