Use Of Vitamin-mineral Supplements Research Articles

KNOWLEDGE AND BEHAVIORS OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS AND INTERNAL MEDICINE PHYSICIANS REGARDING THE USE OF MAGNESIUM FOR SUPPLEMENTATION AND TREATMENT

Objective: To identify indications for magnesium use and assess physicians' knowledge of different formulations of magnesium in medication and supplements Method: A descriptive study was conducted online via Google Forms between January 18 and April 20, 2023. The study population consisted of family physicians (general practitioners, residents, and specialists) and internal medicine physicians (residents and specialists) in Ankara. All physicians were attempted to be reached, and no sampling calculation was made. The survey consisted of 15 questions. Results: A total of 119 physcians completed the survey. The mean age of the physicians who participated in our study was 30.47±4.94 years (min=25, max=48) and 62.2% were female. Of them, 69.7% were family physicians, 30.3% were internal medicine physicians, 77.3% were research assistants and 22.7% were specialists. The most common indications for magnesium treatment were muscle cramps (89.1%) and hypomagnesemia (87.4%); the most commonly used preparations were magnesium oxide (79.8%) and magnesium sulfate (32.8%). The most common indications of using magnesium were cramps (32.4%) and insomnia (13.5%); the most frequently used preparations were magnesium oxide (26.3%), magnesium citrate+malate+glycinate (13.1%), and magnesium biglycinate (13.1%). Physicians who had been practicing for more than 5 years prescribed magnesium more (p=0.010), recommended magnesium supplements more (p=0.020), and used magnesium supplements themselves more (p=0.025) than physicians who had been practicing for 5 years or less. It was found that specialists questioned patients' use of vitamin-mineral supplements more (p=0.044) and recommended magnesium supplements more (p=0.001) than residents. It was found that family physicians prescribed the magnesium used by patients more (p<0.001) and recommended more magnesium-rich nutrition to patients (<0.001) than internal medicine physicians. Conclusion: The physicians who participated in our study preferred magnesium forms covered by social security institution reimbursement for their patients, whereas they preferred forms with higher bioavailability for their own use. It was observed that family physicians provided more magnesium-rich dietary recommendations and prescribed the magnesium used by the patients than internal medicine physicians.

Multimicronutrient supplements in nutrition of pregnant women: critical analysis of research results

The purpose of the review is to analyze the results of the use of vitamin-mineral supplements (MMS) during pregnancy using the databases of the RSCI, CyberLeninka, pubMed. The detection of micronutrient deficiency in a significant part of pregnant women requires its unconditional correction by taking vitamin-mineral supplements. In recent years, the emphasis has shifted to studying the effect of MMS intake on the course and outcomes of pregnancy. The effects described in the literature should be treated critically. Most of the studies are based only on a retrospective survey of pregnant women (according to the ‘yes' or ‘no' principle), their supply of micronutrients is not monitored; no causal relationship is established. There is no objective monitoring of the MMS intake. Uncertainties include the composition and doses of micronutrients in the MMS used, the lack of data on drug intake, the assumption that all MMS are equivalent in composition and micronutrient content, and the grouping of women taking MMS with different composition into one group. In addition, the use of incorrect indicators in assessing the physical growth of children occurs. The positive effect of additional intake of MMS is manifested only if initially there was a deficiency of micronutrients.Conclusions. The intake of MMS during pregnancy improves the supply of vitamins for those women in whose diet there is a lack of them. This prophylaxis reduces the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes due to vitamin deficiencies.

Optimization of the micronutrients sufficiency of feeding women and children on exclusively breastfeeding by enriching of the woman diet

A significant part of pregnant and lactating women have a lack of several micronutrients at once (vitamin D, group B, iodine, iron, etc.). The secretion of vitamins A, E, D, C, B1, B2, B6, B12, iodine and selenium into breast milk decreases with their insufficient consumption and insufficient provision of the nursing mother. The content of folates, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus in breast milk is maintained even if they are insufficient in the mother, however, enriching the diet with them during breastfeeding, improving the status of the mother, prevents the depletion of reserves in her body. The iron and zinc content in breast milk is determined by the mothers status during pregnancy. The intake of vitamin-mineral supplements or food products enriched with micronutrients during the pregravid period, during pregnancy and lactation leads to an improvement in the provision of a woman and her child by increasing the content of vitamins, iodine and selenium in breast milk. The use of vitamin-mineral supplements is an effective way not only to eliminate multiple micronutrient deficiencies in the diet and improve the status of a lactating woman, but also to optimize the vitamin composition of breast milk and the provision of an exclusively breastfed baby.

Prevalence of vitamin-mineral supplement use and associated factors among Canadians: results from the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey.

Vitamin/mineral supplements are used for improving micronutrient intake and preventing deficiencies, particularly for shortfall nutrients. We assessed the prevalence of vitamin/mineral supplement use and associated factors among a representative sample of Canadians aged ≥1 years. We used nationally representative data from the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)-Nutrition. The prevalence of vitamin/mineral supplement use containing shortfall nutrients (vitamins: A, C, D, B6, B12 and folate; minerals: calcium, magnesium, and zinc) was examined in this study. Logistic regression models were performed to determine factors associated with vitamin/mineral supplement use among Canadian children (1-18 years) and adults (>19 years). The overall prevalence of vitamin/mineral supplement use was 38% among men and 53% among women. Males aged 14-18 years had the lowest prevalence (26.5%; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 21.9-31.0) and females aged ≥71 years had the highest prevalence (67.8%; 95% CI = 64.1-71.5) of vitamin/mineral supplement use. Female gender, older age, higher education level, higher income, living in urban areas, having chronic conditions, having a normal body mass index (BMI), and being non-smoker were independent positive predictors of vitamin/mineral supplement use among adults. Independent positive predictors of vitamin/mineral supplement use among Canadian children included younger age, having a normal BMI, and being food secure. Novelty: The overall prevalence of vitamin/mineral supplement use among Canadian men and women was 38% and 53%, respectively. Sociodemographic and lifestyle variables were associated with vitamin/mineral supplement use, especially among Canadian adults.

INFLUENCE OF VITAMIN-MINERAL SUPPLEMENT ON GROWTH INTENSITY AND SLAUGHTER INDICATORS OF RABBITS

There was studied the influence of vitamin-mineral supplement of Tekrou firm, that contain a number of macro-elements, trace elements, vitamins, amino acids, in the amount of 0.35 g per 100 g of fodder on growth and development of the New Zealand rabbits breed of 45-, 60-, 75- and 90- days old. In order to evaluate the influence of vitamin and mineral supplements on the rabbits organism, we used zoo-technical methods of research (live weight, absolute, relative and average daily gain, slaughter quality of rabbits) and statistical methods. There was conducted a comparative analysis of the positive gain dynamics and live weight of experimental rabbits under the influence of vitamin and mineral supplements. There were established group differences in pre-slaughter weight and weight of carcasses in rabbits that consumed different doses of vitamin and mineral supplements. The 90 days old rabbits increased body mass index by 8.89%, under the influence of vitamin and mineral supplements, which exceeded the indicators of control group animals. In addition, we determined the mass metric indices of the carcasses and internal organs of 45-, 60-, 75- and 90- days old rabbits after slaughter. The obtained data on the organism growth, the mass metric indices of the carcasses and the internal organs of the experimental groups rabbits after slaughter can testify to the positive influence of vitamin-mineral supplements on the intensity of the organism development and some internal organs, which contributes to the increased flow of metabolic processes and building of a greater body mass in experimental animal groups. Feeding experimental groups rabbits of New Zealand breed with vitamin and mineral supplements for 45 days contributed to a better transformation of food nutrients into products. It was recorded that the vitamin-mineral supplement use in the ration of New Zealand rabbits increases the intensity of body growth during 45 days and provides the opportunity for a better transformation of fodder nutrients into products, in order to increase the body weight of animals. Key words: rabbits, vitamin-mineral supplement, body weight, mass of internal organs, gain, absolute gain, average daily gain, rabbit carcass, internal organs, slaughter output.

Vitamin-Mineral Supplement Use Patterns in Elderly Koreans: Data from the 2007-2008 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

BackgroundVitamin-mineral supplements are the most popular dietary supplements in Korea. However, few studies have assessed the relationship between vitamin-mineral supplementation and associated factors among the Korean elderly. The purpose of this study was to assess the use of vitamin-mineral supplements among elderly in Korea as well as its association with sociodemographic factors, health-related behaviors, medical conditions, and nutrient intake.MethodsThis study was based on data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare from 2008 to 2009. Data from 3,294 elderly men and women (65 years of age and older) were analyzed. Multivariable-weighted logistic regression model analysis was used to evaluate the association between vitamin-mineral supplement use and sociodemographic factors, health-related habits, and medical conditions.ResultsVitamin-mineral supplementation was reported by 16.3% of the participants. The most common reason for using dietary supplements was recommendations from friends and acquaintances. Highly educated person, female participants had a greater likelihood of taking vitamin-mineral supplements. In addition, analysis of nutrient intake from food sources alone revealed a lower proportion of vitamin-mineral supplement users with nutrient intakes below the estimated average requirements for vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, iron, and phosphorus, compared to nonusers. However, vitamin-mineral supplementation was not associated with health-related behaviors or medical conditions.ConclusionHighly educated person, elderly Korean women had a greater likelihood of using vitamin-mineral supplements. In addition, nutrient intakes from food sources alone were significantly higher among vitamin-mineral supplement users. Finally, vitamin-mineral supplementation may be an indicator of healthier diet in elderly Koreans.

Use of vitamin and mineral supplements and related variables among university students in Seoul

Purpose: Despite the popularity of dietary supplements, little data are available on their use by university students. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of vitamin mineral supplements and to identify factors related to supplement use among university students. Methods: University students (N = 345) in Seoul were surveyed. Survey questions included descriptive demographics, types of vitamin and mineral supplements used, health related lifestyle factors, mini dietary assessment, and knowledge and behaviors related to supplement use. Results: Of university students surveyed, 41% consumed vitamin and mineral supplements. Among the supplement users, multivitamins were the most commonly used dietary supplements (68.6%), followed by vitamin C (31.4%) and calcium (17.1%). In particular, the use of vitamin C and iron supplements was more common in females than males (p < 0.05). For the number of supplements taken daily, 32.1% of supplement users consumed 2 or more supplements; 20% of supplement users had almost no knowledge of the supplements being taken. Based on the results of multivariable logistic regression analysis, supplement use was associated with higher interest in their own health, non-smoker, and supplement use by family (p < 0.05). In addition, supplement use was slightly associated with healthy dietary behavior such as consuming a variety of foods (p = 0.05) and current disease status (p = 0.05). Conclusion: University students with relatively healthy lifestyles appear to take vitamin and mineral supplements, but they had little knowledge of the supplements. Given high prevalence of dietary supplement use among university students, nutrition education regarding supplement use is needed.

Food Quality in the Late Postoperative Period of Bariatric Surgery: An Evaluation Using the Bariatric Food Pyramid

Bariatric surgery is an effective intervention in the treatment of obesity, but lifestyle and diet should be monitored after this procedure to ensure success. The Bariatric Food Pyramid was created basing on long-term nutritional care that proposes a standard of healthy living and eating habits considering gastric capacity and specific nutritional needs. The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the life habits and diet quality of patients who have undergone bariatric surgery (who have been recovering for at least 6 months) based on the specific food pyramid. Retrospective data analysis was performed using medical records of patients who had been followed for at least 6 months after bariatric surgery. The following data were collected from patient records: age, gender, education level (years), BMI (preoperative and postoperative), percentage of excess weight loss (EWL) relative to the time of surgery, frequency of physical activity, use of nutritional supplements, usual dietary intake history, and fluid intake. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. We evaluated 172 patient records. In this study, there was a low prevalence of physical activity, use of vitamin-mineral supplements, and water intake. There also was low consumption of protein, fruit, vegetables, and vegetable oils. In addition, intake of carbohydrates, sugars, and fats were higher than the recommendations established by the pyramid. The results indicate that patients who have undergone bariatric surgery have an inadequate diet according to food evaluation with the specific pyramid. In the long term, this may lead to weight gain and vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Emerging Data Continue to Find Lack of Benefit for Vitamin-Mineral Supplement Use

Emerging Data Continue to Find Lack of Benefit for Vitamin-Mineral Supplement Use

Prevalence of vitamin · mineral supplement use and its related factors among Korean adolescents

This study is conducted in order to investigate the prevalence of vitamin?mineral (VM) supplement use and its related factors among Korean adolescents. Using a cross-sectional study design, information was obtained by questionnaires from adolescents selected by stratified sampling in large, small and middle-size cities, as well as rural areas of the whole country, followed by convenience sampling. The total number of participants in this study was 1,407 adolescents (15.2 ± 1.6 years) attending middle or high schools, chosen from various cities and rural areas in Korea. The prevalence of VM supplement use was 65.5%, and there was no significant difference between the genders. City dwellers took VM supplements more frequently than those adolescents from rural areas (p ＜ 0.01). The VM supplement users tended to have higher family income, parents’ academic background, and socioeconomic status, respectively (p ＜ 0.001). The greater part of VM supplement users replied that they acquired their nutritional information from their parents, relatives and friends, while many nonusers replied that they did it from school classes (p ＜ 0.05). Compared to nonusers, VM supplement users had greater ‘self concern about health’ (p ＜ 0.05), ‘parents’ concern about child’s health, growth, and nutritional intake’ (p ＜ 0.001), and ‘parents’ concern about child’s grade point’ (p ＜ 0.01). However, there was no significant difference between users and nonusers when it came to ‘self perception of body shape’ or ‘BMI’. In addition, users significantly had greater nutritional beliefs concerning VM supplements than nonusers (p ＜ 0.001). These results showed that VM supplement use has been common among adolescents in Korea, and supplement use of subjects has been related with various factors. Among them, it was shown that especially parents great influence the use of VM supplements by adolescents. Thus, not only education for adolescents, but also that for parents is needed to help adolescents take VM supplements properly.

Systematic review of the efficacy and effectiveness of complementary feeding interventions in developing countries

Systematic review of the efficacy and effectiveness of complementary feeding interventions in developing countries

Nutritional supplements and infection in the elderly: why do the findings conflict?

BackgroundMost of the randomized placebo-controlled trials that have examined the clinical effects of multivitamin-mineral supplements on infection in the elderly have shown no significant effect. The exceptions are three such trials, all using a supplement with the same composition, and all claiming dramatic benefits: a frequently cited study published in 1992, which reported a 50% reduction in the number of days of infection (NDI), and two 2002 replication studies. Questions have been raised about the 1992 report; a second report in 2001 based on the same trial, but describing effects of the supplement on cognitive functions, has been retracted by Nutrition. The primary purpose of the present paper is to evaluate the claims about the effects of supplements on NDI in the two replication reports.MethodsExamination of internal consistency (outcomes of statistical tests versus reported data); comparison of variability of NDI across individuals in these two reports with variability in other trials; estimation of the probability of achieving the reported close agreement with the original finding.ResultsThe standard deviations of NDI and levels of statistical significance reported are profoundly inconsistent. The reported standard deviations of NDI are consistently below what other studies have found. The reported percent reductions in NDI agree too closely with the original study.ConclusionThe claims of reduced NDI in the two replication reports should be questioned, which also adds to concerns about the 1992 study. It follows that there is currently no trustworthy evidence from randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials that favors the use of vitamin-mineral supplements to reduce infection in the elderly.

The dubious use of vitamin-mineral supplements in relation to cardiovascular disease

The dubious use of vitamin-mineral supplements in relation to cardiovascular disease

Vitamin–mineral supplement use by low-income Brazilian pregnant adolescents and non-adolescents and the predictors for non-use

To determine (1) the intake of vitamin-mineral supplements by 855 low-income Brazilian pregnant adolescents and non-adolescents in three interviews (gestational ages < or =16, 20-26 and 30-36 weeks), (2) the relationship between vitamin-mineral supplementation and toxic exposure, and nutritional, psychological, socio-economic, demographic and obstetric characteristics of the women. Longitudinal cohort study. Jundiaí city, São Paulo, Brazil. A total of 855 pregnant adolescents and non-adolescents who attended antenatal care from September 1997 to August 2000. A general questionnaire was utilized three times in pregnancy (gestational ages < or =16, 20-26 and 30-36 weeks) to investigate the vitamin-mineral supplements ingested by the women, their smoking habit and alcohol intake, anthropometric measurements (pre-pregnancy and actual weight, height, mid-upper arm circumference) and psychological (anxiety, stress and distress), socio-economic (per capita income), demographic (education, age, marital status) and obstetric (gravidity) characteristics. The associations between vitamin-mineral supplementation and maternal characteristics were assessed in 12 multiple logistic regression models, stratifying the women by age and per capita income. Iron and vitamin C were the most ingested supplements by adolescents and non-adolescents, in the three interviews. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the maternal predictors for non-use of vitamin-mineral supplementation were acute anxiety and alcohol intake for adolescents, and low education, single without partner, distress (anxiety, depression, etc.) and stress for non-adolescents. These are important data to identify groups of low-income pregnant women in need of supplementation guidance and nutrition education. Stress/distress was a predictor for non-use of vitamin-mineral supplements for both adolescents and non-adolescents pregnant women.

Ethnic Differences in Herb and Vitamin/Mineral Use in the Elderly

Little information exists on herb and vitamin-mineral supplement use in very old people and whether use varies by ethnicity. To examine the prevalence and predictors of herb and vitamin-mineral supplement use in a tri-ethnic sample of adults aged > or = 77 years. In-home interviews in 1997-1998 assessed medications use and sociodemographic and health factors in community-dwelling elderly non-Hispanic white (n = 125), black (n = 112), and Hispanic (n = 128) adults. Of the 365 subjects (71.5% > or = 80 y old, 52.6% female), 172 reported using at least one of the preparations (vitamin-mineral supplements 132, herbs alone 21, both herbs and vitamin-mineral supplements 19). Herbal use varied by ethnicity: 12.8% in non-Hispanic whites, 16.1% in blacks, and 4.7% in Hispanics. The most commonly used herbs were garlic, Ginkgo biloba, saw palmetto, and vinegar. Use of vitamin-mineral supplements, alone or combined with herbs, also varied by ethnicity: 54.4% in non-Hispanic whites, 31.3% in blacks, and 37.5% in Hispanics. In the fully adjusted multivariate model with white ethnicity as reference, the odds ratio of vitamin-mineral supplements use for blacks was 0.37 (95% CI 0.21 to 0.65) and for Hispanics was 0.56 (95% CI 0.30 to 1.03). In bivariate analyses, female gender, black ethnicity, being born in the US, and having coronary artery disease were significantly associated with herbal use (p < 0.05); however, in the fully adjusted multivariate model, only the female gender remained significantly associated with herbal use (OR 2.14; 95% CI 1.00 to 4.59). Use of herbs or vitamin-mineral supplements is common in very old people and varies by ethnicity.

Feeding of Nonbreastfed Children from 6 to 24 Months of Age in Developing Countries

The age range from 6 to 24 months is a critical period when malnutrition and infection are particularly common in developing countries. For breastfed children a set of recommendations in the form of 10 Guiding Principles was recently issued regarding complementary feeding within this age range. Many of these Guiding Principles can also be applied to nonbreastfed children (Nos. 3 4 6 and 10). Others however need to be revised for nonbreastfed infants. This document will cover appropriate feeding of nonbreastfed children from 6 to 24 months of age with a focus on developing-country populations. The Guiding Principles that will be addressed include No. 5 (amount of food needed) No. 7 (meal frequency and energy density) No. 8 (nutrient content of foods) and No. 9 (use of vitamin-mineral supplements or fortified products). To address Nos. 8 and 9 linear programming (LP) techniques were used to develop diets that can meet nutrient requirements within this age range. (excerpt)

Health Care For Our Bones: A Practical Nutritional Approach to Preventing Osteoporosis

When patients and doctors think of osteoporosis, calcium immediately comes to mind. bBones contain calcium, and, therefore, take calcium to protect your bones,Q is the battle cry that we hear most often from doctors, government agencies, and media sources. This commentary will provide a story of osteoporosis beyond calcium, which is one that practitioners and researchers need to consider when treating or investigating this pervasive condition. The cost of managing osteoporotic fractures alone exceeds $14 billion per year, 1 or about $38 million per day. The extent of the osteoporotic problem becomes obvious when we consider the results of a recent study on bone mineral density (BMD), which is considered the single best predictor of fracture risk in asymptomatic postmenopausal women. Almost half of the 200,160 participants without known osteoporosis had low BMD, including approximately 7% who had osteoporosis. These results are consistent with the 50% to 68% estimated national prevalence of low-hip BMD observed among women aged 50 years or older. 1 Clearly, low BMD, osteoporosis, and related fractures are a national epidemic. Despite the availability of densitometry, osteoporosis often remains undiagnosed until a fracture occurs, which is a great concern because the size of the population aged 50 years or older will increase during the next several decades. Thus, the direct and indirect costs of fractures are expected to increase correspondingly. 1 In this commentary, I consider important nutritional issues that profoundly impact bone health. Although calcium is important, it appears to be no more important than other key nutrients, such as magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids and specific food sources in our diet. It might be that calcium supplementation is overemphasized such that supplementing with calcium creates a false sense of security in women who believe that calcium will protect their bones. Consider that less bone fractures occur in other populations wherein women consume less calcium compared with women in the United States. 2 Clearly, there is more to nutritional modulation of osteoporosis than mere calcium supplementation. Much of this information is not common knowledge among practitioners or the general population, which is most likely caused by the overemphasis on calcium above all other nutritional considerations for osteoporosis. The purpose of this commentary is to provide clinically useful information that is based on basic science, epidemiologic studies, and clinical trials.

Iron status in 358 apparently healthy 80-year-old Danish men and women: relation to food composition and dietary and supplemental iron intake.

In Denmark, the intake of dietary iron has decreased since 1987, when the mandatory iron fortification of flour (30 mg carbonyl iron/kg) was stopped. Since there have been no studies of iron status in elderly Danes after the abolishment of iron fortification, there is a need to assess actual iron status in the elderly population. The objective was to evaluate iron status and the relationship with food composition and dietary and supplemental iron intake in an elderly population in Copenhagen County. Participants in this health examination survey were 358 subjects (171 men, 187 women) 80 years of age from a 1914 cohort study. Blood samples included serum ferritin and hemoglobin (Hb). A dietary survey was performed in 232 subjects (120 men, 112 women) using a dietary history method. Median serum ferritin was 100 microg/l in men and 78 microg/l in women ( p<0.001). Ferritin concentrations <16 microg/l (i.e., depleted iron stores) were found in three men (2%) and in ten women (5%). Median Hb was 140 g/l in men and 131 g/l in women ( p<0.001). Three subjects (0.84%) had iron deficiency anemia (i.e., ferritin <13 microg/l and Hb <5th percentile for iron-replete subjects (121 g/l in men, 114 g/l in women). Ferritin concentrations >300 microg/l (i.e., iron overload) were found in 15 (9%) men and in 5 (3%) women. Median dietary iron intake was higher in men (8.7 mg/day) than in women (7.3 mg/day) ( p<0.001). Serum ferritin was positively correlated to dietary intake of iron, meat, and alcohol and to body mass index in men. Serum ferritin displayed a negative correlation to the consumption of tea. The use of vitamin-mineral supplements containing iron had no influence on iron status. Dietary intake of iron and/or the bioavailability of dietary iron were adequate to maintain a favorable iron status in 80-year-old subjects displaying a low prevalence of iron deficiency and a moderate prevalence of iron overload.

Do Adolescent Vitamin-Mineral Supplement Users Have Better Nutrient Intakes Than Nonusers? Observations from the CATCH Tracking Study

Objective Describe whether users of vitamin-mineral supplements differed from nonusers in micronutrient intakes or in nutrition awareness. Design Cross-sectional, observational study. Subjects One thousand five hundred thirty-two students now in grade 8, who participated in the Third Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health tracking study and who also provided a single 24-hour dietary recall. Statistical analyses performed Mixed-model analysis of covariance was used to ascertain if supplement users had higher vitamin and mineral intakes from food sources, and to examine if supplement users had better nutrition awareness than nonusers. Results The 24-hour recall showed that 17.6% of the students reported using vitamin-mineral supplements. Users reported a mean of 1.4 supplements, of which 47% were multivitamin or multimineral preparations, 37% were single nutrients, and 16% were combinations. White persons and residents of Minnesota and California were more likely to be supplement users. Users had higher micronutrient intakes from food sources for 16 of the 20 nutrients studied after adjusting for gender, race/ethnicity, site, treatment condition, and within-school variability. Users had higher scores on a health behavior survey for food choice and slightly but not significantly higher nutrition knowledge scores. Conclusions Vitamin-mineral supplement use is prevalent among eighth-grade students. Users have higher nutrient intakes from foods, higher total intakes for several micronutrients, higher nutrition awareness, and differ in their demographic characteristics from nonusers. J Am Diet Assoc. 2001;101:1340-1346.

Breakfast consumption with and without vitamin-mineral supplement use favorably impacts daily nutrient intake of ninth-grade students.

To assess the contribution of breakfast consumption (with and without dietary supplement intake) on total daily nutrient intake of ninth-grade students. Twenty-four-hour recall of dietary intake was collected from a random sample of 711 ninth-grade students attending 12 Archdiocesan high schools in New Orleans, Louisiana. Analysis of variance techniques, Pearson's Chi-square statistic, and Breznahn-Shapiro method with Scheffé probabilities were used to analyze nutrient intake data, dietary adequacy, and nonorthogonal comparisons, respectively. Nineteen percent of 15-year-olds skipped breakfast, with more females skipping breakfast than males (23% vs. 14%, respectively). Thirty-six percent of nonwhite females versus 20% white females skipped breakfast. Eleven percent of subjects took some type of dietary supplement, most commonly a multivitamin and mineral supplement. Among those who ate breakfast, average energy intake from breakfast was 437 kcal. Percentage of total daily energy intake was higher from fats and lower from carbohydrates for adolescents who skipped breakfast, compared with adolescents who consumed breakfast. The percentage of subjects consuming at least two-thirds of the Recommended Dietary Allowance was significantly lower among adolescents skipping breakfast than those consuming breakfast. Regardless of supplement use, breakfast consumption makes an important nutritional contribution to total daily intake of ninth-grade students. Encouraging breakfast consumption and healthful breakfast choices is an important step toward improving the nutritional quality of diets of this age group.