Micronutrient Supplement Use and Diet Quality in University Students
Open Access
- 5 February 2015
- Vol. 7 (2), 1094-1107
- https://doi.org/10.3390/nu7021094
Abstract
Many national and international public health organisations recommend achieving nutrient adequacy through consumption of a wide variety of nutritious foods. Despite this, dietary supplement sales continue to increase. Understanding the characteristics of micronutrient supplement users and the relationship with diet quality can help develop effective public health interventions to reduce unnecessary consumption of vitamin and mineral supplements. Participants (n = 1306) were a convenience sample of students studying first year food and nutrition. Data was collected via a Food and Diet Questionnaire (FDQ) and a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Supplement users were defined as participants who indicated consuming any listed supplement as frequently as once a month or more. Diet quality was assessed using a Dietary Guideline Index (DGI) score. Prevalence of supplement use was high in this study population with 56% of participants reporting supplement use; the most popular supplements consumed were multivitamins (28%) and vitamin C (28%). A higher DGI score was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of supplement use (mean: 105 ± 18 vs. 109 ± 17, p = 0.001). Micronutrient supplement use was associated with a higher DGI score, suggesting that supplements are more likely to be used by those who are less likely to require them.Keywords
This publication has 28 references indexed in Scilit:
- Micronutrient Intakes from Food and Supplements in Australian AdolescentsNutrients, 2014
- Why US Adults Use Dietary SupplementsJAMA Internal Medicine, 2013
- Dietitians use and recommend dietary supplements: report of a surveyNutrition Journal, 2012
- Dietary Supplement Use in the United States, 2003–2006Journal of Nutrition, 2011
- Dietary Quality Is Associated with Diabetes and Cardio-Metabolic Risk FactorsJournal of Nutrition, 2009
- Lactose Intolerance in Infants, Children, and AdolescentsPEDIATRICS, 2006
- Gluten‐free diet survey: are Americans with coeliac disease consuming recommended amounts of fibre, iron, calcium and grain foods?Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 2005
- Among Young Adults, College Students and Graduates Practiced more Healthful Habits and made more Healthful Food Choices than did NonstudentsJournal of the American Dietetic Association, 1997
- Teratogenicity of High Vitamin A IntakeThe New England Journal of Medicine, 1995
- Iron and zinc status of young women aged 14 to 19 years consuming vegetarian and omnivorous diets.Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 1995