Importance of Health literacy in magnesium supplementation - Case study Novi Sad, Serbia

Abstract

Abstract Background Currently the market offers wide range of magnesium dietary supplements that vary either in their pharmaceutical dosage form (capsules, tablets, direct form, effervescences etc.), magnesium compound present (magnesium oxide, - chloride, -citrate,- bisglycinate, -acetyltaurinate etc.) their dosage (ranging from 150 to 400mg) or other vitamins and minerals present (vitamin B complex, vitamin C, zinc, manganese etc). Since the public can now choose to buy dietary supplements not only from pharmacies and specialized stores but from places such as supermarkets, cosmetic shops or even markets it is important to educate the public and help them make healthier choices. Objectives While providing primary health care services in public pharmacy, overall choices and reasons for buying magnesium supplements were noted during the first four months of 2019 (January to April). The goal was to investigate the most important factors patients consider when opting to take magnesium supplements as well as their health literacy regarding the topic. Results The results indicate that the currently most popular choices are mouth dissolving forms of magnesium (more than 50% units sold), and predominantly forms the magnesium oxide form (around 75%). It is suggested that the most important factors when choosing magnesium dietary supplements are its price, media presence, friends advice, general familiarity or even product design as very few the patients asked about the present form of the magnesium. Conclusions Magnesium dietary supplements belong to highly desirable supplements on the free market. It is observed that patients choice mostly doesn’t coincide with health authorities recommendations. Key messages Importance of health literacy and understanding the dietary supplement labels. Higher impact of sources of information other than healthcare authorities.