Consumption of dietary supplements and their determinants among adults in six Arabic countries: a cross-sectional survey

Faculty Medicine Year: 2024
Type of Publication: ZU Hosted Pages: 17
Authors:
Journal: The Egyptian Journal of Internal Medicine Springer open Volume:
Keywords : Consumption , dietary supplements , their determinants among    
Abstract:
Background: Since the onset of the coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic crisis, the supplement market has consistently grown. Therefore, we conducted this survey during the fourth wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic to study the fre‐ quency and context of dietary supplement (DS) consumption (vitamins and mineral intake) and explore the consum‐ er’s pharmaceutical buying behaviour; and to study its determinants as regards the demographics, Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and healthy eating pyramids. Methods: We conducted a cross‐sectional web‐based survey on 1333 Arabic adults aged 18 years or more residing in six Arabic‐speaking countries in May 2022, using a validated self‐administrated questionnaire. The survey‐involved questions about sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity, FSS, healthy eating pyramid, DS consumption, and consumers’ pharmaceutical purchasing behaviour. Results: Most participants were aged 20 to less than 35 years, and 64.6% used dietary supplements. There was a sta‐ tistically significant difference between supplement users and nonusers as regards consumers’ pharmaceutical buying behaviour in terms of advertising quality, safety rules, pharmaceutical forms, and packet quality. Arabic adults con‐ sumed the following dietary supplements: 63.5% vitamin C, 60.1% vitamin D, 47.1% iron, and 44.4% zinc. Authorised products (76.0%), natural contents (75.0%), and safety rules (68%), were the most common factors influencing Arabic consumers’ pharmaceutical purchasing behavior. Multi‐logistic regression analysis showed that being female, having a history of COVID‐19, having a positive attitude about the benefits, and being recommended for supplement use were predictors of dietary supplement use. Conclusion: The dietary consumption of supplements is prevalent, mainly including vitamin C, vitamin D, iron, zinc, vitamin B, and magnesium. In addition, Arabic adults are poorly adherent to healthy eating pyramids. Given the ongo‐ ing COVID‐19 pandemic, Arabic health authorities should prioritize this issue to minimize the potential for misusing dietary supplements.
   
     
 
       

Author Related Publications

  • Nahla Mahmoud Mohammed Ashraf Ali Zytoun, "Assessment of Nutritional Status among Hemodialysis Patients by Three Different Tools.", Egyptian Association of Community Medicine., 2025 More
  • Nahla Mahmoud Mohammed Ashraf Ali Zytoun, "Exploring predictors and prevalence of postpartum depression among mothers: Multinational study", Springer Nature, 2024 More
  • Nahla Mahmoud Mohammed Ashraf Ali Zytoun, "Comparison of three embolic materials at partial splenic artery embolization for hypersplenism: clinical, laboratory, and radiological outcomes", Springer Science and Business Media, 2021 More
  • Nahla Mahmoud Mohammed Ashraf Ali Zytoun, "SARS-CoV-2 infection among preterm deliveries: frequency, determinants, effects. A retrospective cohort study in 2022", Verduci Editore s.r.l, 2023 More
  • Nahla Mahmoud Mohammed Ashraf Ali Zytoun, "Migraine among Egyptian medical students: prevalence, disability and psychological distress-cross sectional study", Springer Nature, 2023 More

Department Related Publications

  • Amani Mohammed Abdullah alsaied, "Stress and Coping Strategies among Medical Students in Zagazig University; A Prospective Cohort Study", Egyptian Journal of Community Medicine, 2021 More
  • Randah Mohamed Said Abdou Nigm, "Effect of Health Belief Model Based Nutrition Education on Dietary Habits of Secondary School Adolescent Girls in Sharkia Governorate", Egyptian association of Community Medicine, 2018 More
  • Amani Mohammed Abdullah alsaied, "BURNOUT AND HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG RESIDENT PHYSICIANS IN ZAGAZIG UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS", Egyptian Journal of Occupational Medicine, 2019 More
  • Amani Mohammed Abdullah alsaied, "Lipid Profile Disorders And Diabetic Foot Risk; Is There A relationship between Them?"", Zagazig university medical journal, 2022 More
  • Amany Ahmed Mohamed Abedallah, "دراسات باثولوجية اكلينيكية علي تأثير الريبافيرين والسليمارين ورابع كلوريد الكربون في الارانب", لايوجد, 1900 More
Tweet