IJCM_166A: A cross sectional study to assess knowledge, attitude and practices about dietary supplements among gym going medical students.

Abstract

Background: Nutrition plays equal role as physical activity in maintaining good health and improving fitness. According to FDA, Dietary supplements are products intended to supplement the diet. They are not medicining and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure diseases. Adolescents may be vulnerable to misleading nutritional information and adopt unhealthy food habits. Food habits of the youth could be influenced by specific features related to physical training, either aimed to improve fitness or to comply with sport demands. Use of protein supplementation without professional guidance can cause adverse effects on kidney and liver functions. Objectives: 1) To assess knowledge about dietary supplements among gym going medical students. 2) To assess the attitude and practices about dietary supplements among gym going medical students. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 gym going medical students of Mysore Medical College and Research Institute from October to November 2023 using a predesigned and pretested semi-structured questionnaire. Subjects were selected using convenient sampling method. Data was entered in Microsoft Excel and was analyzed using SPSS trial version 29. Results: The study included 150 participants who completed the questionnaire. More than 70% of the participants were males and around 30 % of the study population used at least 1 dietary supplement. More than 95% of them knew about the dietary supplements. Most commonly used dietary supplements were whey protein and creatine powder. Only 10% of participants consuming dietary supplements have taken a dietician’s or expert’s opinion. Conclusion: The study showed that significant number of participants were using dietary supplements. But majority does not take an expert’s opinion before consuming dietary supplements. Both users and non-users of dietary supplements would benefit from improved understanding of the health effects of dietary supplements through health education.