Prevalence of vitamin and mineral supplement use in the elderly

This study examines the belief of many health professionals that the elderly are vulnerable to misconceptions of what constitutes good nutrition, especially as it relates to the use of vitamin and mineral supplements. A canvass of several census tracts in Toledo and several townships in Defiance County, Ohio, identified 309 individuals 60 years of age or older who agreed to participate in this study. Forty-nine percent of those interviewed used some vitamin or mineral supplement. Of these, 77 percent were taking a multiple vitamin. Women were more likely to use supplements than men (53 percent vs 38 percent), and supplement use increased across the three age categories: 60 to 69 years (42 percent), 70 to 79 years (48 percent), 80 years and older (60 percent). More than 85 percent of those using supplements spent less than 2 percent of their income on supplements. Health benefits were perceived by 94 percent of those using supplements.