Effect of dietary supplements on total nutrient intake in Korean children and adolescents

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of dietary supplements (DS) on total nutrient intake. Data from a total of 3,134 subjects between 9 and 18 years of age were obtained from the 4th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007‐2009). The nutrient database for DS was established using the labels and total nutrients intake were combined from the foods and from DS. The prevalence of DS use was 28.5%. Among subjects who reported DS product names, 85.2% were defined as identified DS users, for whom complete nutrient information for the DS used was available. Identified DS users were more likely to be younger, to have a higher household income, and to possess a greater nutritional knowledge compared to nonusers. For total nutrients intake, identified DS users had a significantly lower prevalence of inadequate intakes below the estimated average requirement in vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. However, identified DS users were also more likely to have an excessive intake of iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Our results suggest that DS use by children and adolescents can improve micronutrient status, but also increases the risk of excessive intake of certain vitamins and minerals.This research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (grant number NRF‐2013R1A1A3010359).