title: Prevalence and predictors of children's dietary supplement use: the 2007 National Health Interview Survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about the characteristics of US children who are dietary supplement users.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We described the prevalence and predictors of and reasons for giving children dietary supplements.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included children <18 y of age who participated in the Complementary and Alternative Medicine supplement of the National Health Interview Survey of 2007 whose proxies provided complete information on child dietary supplement use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 37% of subjects used dietary supplements, 31% of subjects used multivitamin mineral (MVM) products exclusively, 4% of subjects used single vitamins or minerals solely or in combination with MVMs, and 2% of subjects used nonvitamin, nonmineral products either solely or in combination with other supplements. Users were more likely than nonusers to be Asian, white, or non-Hispanic; belong to families with higher parental education and income levels; reside in areas other than the South; be in good, very good, or excellent health; have private health insurance; and have a usual place at which they received conventional medical care. Children (3%) with the most disease burden and health care were more likely to use supplements than were healthier children. Supplements were given for the prevention or treatment of many illnesses and conditions. Neither the caregiver's reasons nor specific supplements used were consistently associated with particular conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 37% of US children who used any type of dietary supplements differed from nonusers in family socioeconomic status and many other health-related characteristics. Users were given supplements to prevent or treat many illnesses and conditions for which there is only limited evidence of their efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Office of Dietary Supplements, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20008, USA. dwyerj1@od.nih.gov
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dwyer
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Nahin
authors.forename: Gail T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: Patricia M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Jacques
authors.forename: Christopher T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Sempos
authors.forename: Regan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bailey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D044466:Asian People; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000379:methods; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D014815:Vitamins