• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.268-276
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• 1999

This study was performed to investigate the factors related to vitamin & mineral supplement use by the adolescents. Nine hundred and seventy-two adolescent boys and girls attending middle or high schools were chosen from various cities and rural communities in Korea. In this study, the factors affecting vitamin & mineral supplement use were analyzed from a self-administered questionnaire. It was found that vitamin & mineral supplements were taken by 31.3% of subjects. High school students(p<.01), female girl students(p<.001), and rural-dwellers(p<.001) took vitamin & mineral supplements more frequently than their complementing groups. The socioeconomic status of the family (p<.01), and supplement consumption by parents and siblings respectively affected the supplement use by the subjects(p<.001). Vitamin·mineral supplements were consumed more often in subjects who perceived their health as poor(p<.001), skipped breakfast(p<.05), and received nutritional information from books or magazines(p<.05). However, food habits and nutritional knowledge score of subjects did not affect vitamin & mineral supplement use. These findings suggest that adolescents take vitamin & mineral supplements commonly, and they tend to use supplements without prescription. Vitamin·mineral supplement consumption seems to be affected by general characteristics, health related variables, and meal management attitudes of subjects. Therefore, nutritional understanding and education are required in regard to the used of vitamin & mineral supplements, and the relationship between balanced diet and good health for the adolescents.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.552-559
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• 2013

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 ($15.2{\pm}1.6$ 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.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.199-210
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to investigate nutritional risk factors, perceptions on nutrition and health, nutritional knowledge, flood habits and their correlation to supplement use in middle-aged and elderly Koreans. A nationwide survey was conducted in the metropolitan areas (6 cities) and middle-sized cities (8 cities) of Korea from October to December, 2000. Subjects were randomly selected based on population, and 2,188 non-institutionalized adults aged over 50, and elderly (male 765, female 1,423) were studied. Data were collected using a standardized questionnaire administered in personal interviews. Nutrition and health-related scores of nutritional risk factors, perceptions on nutrition and health, nutritional knowledge, and flood habits were significantly higher in supplement users as compared to non-users. There was a negative correlation between nutritional risk factors and other nutrition and health-related scores on perceptions on nutrition and health, nutritional knowledge, flood habits, and pocket money. Also there was a positive correlation between nutritional risk factors and age. Therefore, these results may provide basic information for proper supplement use by middle-aged and elderly koreans.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.109-117
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to investigate food habits, nutritional knowledge, nutritional risk factors, health-related lifestyle, health status and dietetic therapy in Korean middle-aged and elderly outpatients taking supplements. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from July to December in 2001. Subjects were 1702 (male 731, female 971) age-related chronic disease outpatients aged over 50 years. Data was collected using a standardized Questionnaire by in-person interview and analyzed by SPSS system. The subjects with supplement had significantly lower nutritional knowledge, higher nutritional risk factors, undesirable lifestyle, and lower self-reported health status compared to those without supplement. However, the subjects with supplement had desirable (cod habits and more concern about health compared to those without supplement. Age-related chronic disease group with supplement had significantly undesirable food habits, lower nutritional knowledge and higher nutritional risk factors compared to control group with supplement. Age-related chronic disease group without supplement had significantly desirable food habits, higher nutritional knowledge, lower self-reported health status and higher stress compared to control group without supplement. Therefore, these results may provide basic information for proper supplement of Korean middle-aged and elderly outpatients.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.946-955
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• 2001

This study was performed to investigate the dietary supplement use and related factors by college students attending in web class. One thousand four hundred college students(male: 632, female: 768) were participated in this study. The questionnaire about dietary supplements use, demographic characteristics, eating behavior, health-related lifestyles, nutrient intake was self-administered and the data were obtained via internet or mail. Dietary supplements were taken by 63.6%(male : 62.2%, female : 64.2%) of subjects. The higher concern about nutrition and health, the higher the incidence of dietary supplements taking was(p < 0.05). Dietary supplement users were satisfied more than non-users about meal served(p < 0.05). Supplements used by most male students were lactic acid beverage, Chinese medicine, geigogi geisoju and multivitamin, Chinese medicine, fiber-processed flood for female students. Most of dietary supplement users answered that the sources of information on supplements were 'friend, family or relatives' and 'TV or radio'. Dietary supplement users were taking significantly more nutrients compared to non-use. Therefore, it may be necessary to provide nutrition information and education which show that balanced diet is the best nutritional strategy for health promotion and diet supplements can be helpful in deficient state nutrients.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.1231-1241
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• 2007

This study was conducted to investigate the nutrient supplement use and its related influencing factors by high school students in Chonbuk area. Self administered questionnaires were collected from 489 (urban: 268, rural: 221). Statistical data analysis was completed using a SPSS v. 10.0 program. The results are summarized as follows. According to the general characteristic of subjects, the job and education level of parents and family monthly income respectively affected the nutrient supplement use of subjects (p<0.001). According to the living area, taking a nutrient supplement of parents and nutritional information respectively affected the nutrient supplement use of subjects (p<0.001). About 42.2% of subjects, who taking a nutrient supplement, responded to take a traditional medicine type, and 24.4% of them a multivitamin. Their mothers were important recommended person. The main reason for taking was 'to recommended from parent' (38.5%) and 'recovery from tiredness' (29.6%). The main reason for not-taking was that they were health, therefore nutrient supplements were not necessary. In the future about 43.7% of urban and 33.9% of rural area responded to take a nutrient supplements (p<0.05). These findings show that the behaviors of nutritional supplement usage by subjects are not reasonable, and their supplement usage tends to be affected by general characteristics. Therefore, nutritional understanding and education that are intended to from reasonable behaviors toward nutritional supplement usage of adolescents should be provided with considering the relationship between general characteristic of subjects and supplement usage.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.347-355
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• 2017

Objectives: Although dietary supplements use in Korea has been rapidly increasing and women are more likely to take dietary supplements more than men, only a few studies have been conducted to investigate factors contributing to gender differences in dietary supplement use in the Korean population. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of dietary supplement use and also identify gender-specific key factors that contribute to it using the data of the 4th KNHANES. Methods: Subjects were divided into user and non-user groups according to the answer given to the question that asked whether they had used any dietary supplement for more than 2 weeks on a regular basis during the previous year. Factors related to dietary supplement use were examined by general characteristics, health behavior and eating behavior. Results: Prevalence of dietary supplement use was 13.6% for men and 20.6% for women. Users were more likely to be middle-aged, have higher income and education, have a spouse, or reside in dong areas in both men and women. Regarding health behaviors, men with desirable lifestyle behavior were more likely to take dietary supplements, while men who smoked were less likely to take dietary supplements. Regarding disease history, both men and women with a current disease had higher odds of taking supplements. With regard to dietary behavior, frequent eating out and nutrition attitude were associated with higher odds of taking supplements in both men and in women. Conclusions: Health or dietary behavior related factors that were associated with taking supplements differed by gender. These findings can be useful for planning gender-specific dietary education and health programs.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.104-111
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• 2001

The Purpose of this study was to investigate the dietary intake of nutrients and the use of vitamin and mineral supplements by Korean college students attending Web class and the socioeconomic, dietary and health-related factors involved. The subjects were 137 male and 115 female students amending a health and nutrition-related Web class at a cycler university. This cross-sectional survey was conducted by self-administered questionnaire and the data were analyzed by SAS and SPSS PC package programs. Nutrient intake data collected using three-day recall method were analyzed by the Computer Aided Nutritional Analysis Program. Average intake by male students of most nutrients except energy, vitamin B$_2$ and calcium and intake by female students of those except energy, vitamin $B_2$, calcium and iron was higher than Korean RDA. Nutrient intake of male students was significantly influenced by the mother s job, skipping meals, exercise, vitamin and mineral supplement use, flood supplement use and self-evaluated anemia. Skipping meals and flood supplement use significantly influenced the nutrient intake of female students. A total of 47.4% of male students and 53.9% of female students were vitamin and mineral supplement users. In female students, socioeconomic characteristics such as the father s education level and household income were significantly different between vitamin and mineral supplement users and non-users. In both male and female students, there were significant differences in cross analysis between vitamin and mineral supplement use and flood supplement use. As for the self-reported health status of male and female students, vitamin and mineral supplement users perceived their health status to be worse compared to non-users. Therefore, nutrition education via the Internet is necessary in order to encourage college students to practice optimal nutrition strategies, including maintaining well-balanced diets by choosing various floods wisely.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.299-306
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• 2006

This study was done to investigate the use of nutritional supplements (NS) in Korean elite soccer players using an anonymous questionnaire. NS were classified into health supplements, manufactured health food supplements, chinese medicines & tonic foods, and nutrient supplements. Information was sought on the type of NS and factors that might influence supplement use including selected demographic parameters and health related variables. The data were collected from 241 athletes (aged $24.6{\pm}3.8$ years) in 9 professional soccer club. The prevalence of NS use among the subjects was 81.3%. Health supplements were used most frequently and nutrient supplement drug was the second one. Among the health supplements, weight/muscle gainer and calorie replacement product were most frequently used. Vitamin supplements were most frequently used among all nutrient supplement drugs. Users of NS were higher age (p<0.05) duration of exercise (p<0.05), and income (p<0.05) than non-users. The married (p<0.05) and a member of K-league (p<0.01) tended to have higher prevalence of NS use. The main adviser of NS were family (55.3%) and oneself (39%) instead of coach or sports nutritionist. Although NS use, only 26.2% certainly check up nutritional information on their used NS. Among the subjects, 84.5% of them felt that NS use were improved athletic performance, and 86.5% of them will to keep on taking supplement. These data suggest that a large number of elite soccer players use NS and these players may require education about healthy nutritional supplement practice and on the proper use of nutritional supplements.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.352-363
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• 2015

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.