Diet, food beliefs and dietary supplementation

Abstract

A random population survey, administered by mail, was completed by 730 adults in Adelaide, South Australia (a response rate of 78.5%). The aim of the study was the description of the respondents’ dietary supplementation practices, food and vitamin beliefs and dietary habits. Over one third of the men (37.8%) and half of the women (51.3%) took supplements regularly. A further 13.9% of men and 9.4% of women took supplements at irregular intervals. The most popular regularly‐used supplements were multivitamins (used by 20.6%); bran (17.7%); vitamin C (15.5%); B‐complex vitamins (11.9%) and wheatgerm (10.0%). Regular supplementers exhibited greater distrust of the conventional food supply than other respondents. They also believed more in the specific and general health benefits of vitamins and minerals. Regular supplementers’ diets contained more fruits, wholegrain bread, and more vitamins but less fat (in the case of women) than those of the other respondents. Irregular supplementers had more optimistic vie...