Consumer health beliefs and food supplement use by the elderly

Seven western states in the U.S.A. were surveyed by mail and telephone to assess consumer-health beliefs and the use of food supplements (vitamins and minerals) as part of the overall western region project. A 57.9% return resulted in a sample size of 1,730 adults and 528 of these were 60 years of age and over. The sample included significantly greater numbers of regular users of vitamins and mineral supplements than non-users or occasional users. More women than men were regular users. Compared with those who never used vitamin and mineral supplements, regular users had distinct patterns of health beliefs and practices. Regularly, they relied heavily on the medical profession for general health information. They obtained supplement and diet information from diet books and periodicals and also believed that taking vitamins and minerals prevented serious illness, reduced stress, prevented colds, skin problems, heart attacks, cancer, and other health problems. While they believed their overall well-being was improved through the use of supplements, their responses did not indicate that use of supplements ensured good health or that the current food supply filled nutritional needs. Conclusions are that specific educational programmes about the value and use of food supplements need to be designed for the target audience. Furthermore, all professionals who work in the large array of food service positions should share the responsibility for providing accurate information and advertising.