title: Predictors of dietary supplement usage among medical interns of Tehran university of medical sciences.
abstract: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of dietary supplement-use and its relationship with demographics and lifestyle of medical interns. The study sample comprised 356 interns aged 23 to 25 years. Participants completed a questionnaire on dietary supplement-use during the month preceding the study, information on demographic characteristics and lifestyle was also obtained. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression were employed to assess the correlates of dietary supplement-use. The prevalence of dietary supplement-use was about 33% (males 20.4% and females 43.2%, p<0.001). The most commonly-used dietary supplement was multivitamin/multivitamin-mineral (90.6% in males and 52.3% in females). Approximately 30% of supplements were used regularly (≥ 5 days/week) by all subjects. The most-frequently reported reasons for supplement-use in males were: enhancing daily energy/stamina (51.1%), poor food intake (13.3%) and, in females, were: improving health and nutritional status (39.3%) and reducing hair loss (23.4%). The decision to use dietary supplement was mostly driven by the interns themselves (56% in males, 61% in females). In the univariable analysis, men who exercised once or twice a week were less likely to use supplements compared to those who reported doing exercise more than twice weekly (OR=0.35, 95% CI 0.12-0.98). Females who reported their health status to be 'excellent' were more likely to use supplements compared to those who described their health status as 'moderate/poor/very poor' (OR=2.53, 95% CI 1.15-5.56) as were women who mentioned their breakfast consumption status as 'always' (OR=2.69, 95% CI 1.47-4.92). In the multivariable analysis, only breakfast consumption was significantly related with dietary supplement-use in females (OR=2.20, 95% CI 1.11-4.38). In conclusion, dietary supplement-use among medical interns, especially among females, was relatively very common. Dietary supplement-use was related to a healthier lifestyle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Gity
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sotoudeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Sanaz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kabiri
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Haleh Sadrzadeh
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Yeganeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular, Molecular Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fariba
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Koohdani
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Farahnaz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Khajehnasiri
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Shahla
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khosravi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D007492:Iran; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Dietary supplement; Intern; Iran; Lifestyle; Tehran University of Medical Sciences