title: Use of dietary supplements and natural remedies increased dramatically during the 1990s.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence and trends in dietary supplement and natural remedy use in Sweden during the 1980s and 1990s.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three nationally representative, cross-sectional surveys conducted in 1980-81, 1988-89 and 1996-97 were used for analysis. In face-to-face interviews participants reported consumption of dietary supplements and natural remedies during the previous 2 weeks.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sweden.
  
  
  METHODS
  The samples consisted totally of 38 594 adults aged 16-84 years (14 642 in the 1980-81 survey, 12 391 in the 1988-89 survey and 11 561 in the 1996-97 survey). Main outcome measures. Changes in prevalence of dietary supplement and natural remedy users between 1980 and 1997.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 70% increase in the prevalence of dietary supplement users amongst both men and women [odds ratio (OR), 1.7; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.6-1.9, OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.5-1.8, respectively] occurred mainly between 1988-89 and 1996-97. The increase in the prevalence of natural remedy users was even more dramatic - more than threefold in men (OR, 3.3; 95% CI, 2.9-4.0) and almost threefold in women (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 2.3-2.9) - and the systematic increase started already in the 1980s. The increase was observed in all age groups and in all socio-economic groups, except for farmers. In 1996-97 the prevalence of dietary supplement users was 22% amongst men and 33% amongst women, and of natural remedies 7 and 14%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During the last two decades, the use of dietary supplements and natural remedies amongst the adult Swedish population has dramatically increased.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Epidemiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. maria.messerer@mep.ki.se
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Messerer
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wolk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009324:Naturopathy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology