Dental patients' self-reported use of dietary supplements on medical history questionnaires.
Dietary supplement effects and drug interactions can lead to significant adverse health events, thus potentially impacting the safe delivery of oral healthcare. This study sought to determine the frequency of, and factors impacting, dietary supplement use among 209 dental patients and whether the design of a medical history questionnaire influences reporting of supplement use. Patients were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 groups in which they completed either a standard medical history questionnaire (n = 107) or the same questionnaire with an additional item about dietary supplement use (n = 102). All patients were then administered a survey with questions about their demographics, their use and knowledge of dietary supplements, and the person or persons who recommended dietary supplement use to the patient. While 62% of the total population (130/209) reported supplement use, specific prompting nearly doubled the number of supplements reported (mean with prompting: 1.53; mean without prompting: 0.76; P < 0.0001). Patients younger than 30 years of age reported significantly less dietary supplement use than all other age groups except the 30-40 age group (P = 0.0003). An estimated 70% of all respondents were not aware of potentially detrimental side effects of dietary supplement use or possible interactions with conventional drug therapies. Since patients tended to report a greater use of dietary supplements when specifically asked about their use on a medical history questionnaire, a checklist or set of designated questions may be a suitable first step toward gathering this essential information.
Sarmad
S
Bakuri
Sharon K
SK
Lanning
Al M
AM
Best
Robert
R
Sabatini
John
J
Gunsolley
Thomas C
TC
Waldrop
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D002762:Cholecalciferol; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009539:Nicotinic Acids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
C524255:HUM 5007; D009539:Nicotinic Acids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D002762:Cholecalciferol; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D001205:Ascorbic Acid
dentistry; dietary supplements; patient disclosure; survey study