INTRODUCTION
Dietary supplements are popular, with reported use by over half of US adults.1 They may be marketed for specific purposes, including purported skin benefits. Despite widespread use, these products do not require FDA approval prior to sale. Manufacturers are not required to prove safety or efficacy, and patients may be unaware of potential risks.2 To better educate patients, it is important to understand factors associated with supplement use.
This study used 2015-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. NHANES is comprised of interviews and examinations of a nationally representative sample of the US population. Demographic and dietary questionnaire responses were used to examine the prevalence of dietary supplement use for skin, hair, and nails among various sociodemographic populations as well as among pregnant women (Table I). These covariates were self-reported by respondents, and sample weights were applied to raw data to estimate prevalence. All statistical analyses were performed using SAS software version 9.4 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC).
Over 40% of respondents reported taking dietary supplements in the past 30 days. Out of 27 potential options (Table II), the overwhelming majority (87.86%) chose “healthy skin, hair, and nails†when asked, “for what reason or reasons do you take [product name]?†Most of these respondents (69.82%) decided to consume these supplements “for reasons of my own,†rather than at the advice of a healthcare professional. Further, 92.42% of individuals who reported taking skin supplements had health insurance, indicating likely access to physicians (Table I).
Interestingly, 31.41% of children under 19 years surveyed (as reported by an adult proxy for those younger than 16) took supplements. Of all children surveyed, 19.43% specifically took skin supplements. Of respondents taking skin supplements, a majority had some college education or above (71.55%). Many had an income above $100,000 (32.91%) and were of White race (67.63%). Finally, 10.33% were pregnant (Table I).
Of concern, most respondents chose to use supplements on their own, corroborated by 2007–2010 NHANES findings in which only 23% of supplements were used based on health provider recommendation.3 This trend suggests patients are educating themselves on dietary supplements. Indeed, in previous national opinion surveys, supplement users believed physicians know little about supplements and are biased against them.4
Findings from this cross-sectional study illustrate supplement use in the US population is common and is predominantly for the purposes of “healthy skin, hair, and nails.†Of those reporting
This study used 2015-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. NHANES is comprised of interviews and examinations of a nationally representative sample of the US population. Demographic and dietary questionnaire responses were used to examine the prevalence of dietary supplement use for skin, hair, and nails among various sociodemographic populations as well as among pregnant women (Table I). These covariates were self-reported by respondents, and sample weights were applied to raw data to estimate prevalence. All statistical analyses were performed using SAS software version 9.4 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC).
Over 40% of respondents reported taking dietary supplements in the past 30 days. Out of 27 potential options (Table II), the overwhelming majority (87.86%) chose “healthy skin, hair, and nails†when asked, “for what reason or reasons do you take [product name]?†Most of these respondents (69.82%) decided to consume these supplements “for reasons of my own,†rather than at the advice of a healthcare professional. Further, 92.42% of individuals who reported taking skin supplements had health insurance, indicating likely access to physicians (Table I).
Interestingly, 31.41% of children under 19 years surveyed (as reported by an adult proxy for those younger than 16) took supplements. Of all children surveyed, 19.43% specifically took skin supplements. Of respondents taking skin supplements, a majority had some college education or above (71.55%). Many had an income above $100,000 (32.91%) and were of White race (67.63%). Finally, 10.33% were pregnant (Table I).
Of concern, most respondents chose to use supplements on their own, corroborated by 2007–2010 NHANES findings in which only 23% of supplements were used based on health provider recommendation.3 This trend suggests patients are educating themselves on dietary supplements. Indeed, in previous national opinion surveys, supplement users believed physicians know little about supplements and are biased against them.4
Findings from this cross-sectional study illustrate supplement use in the US population is common and is predominantly for the purposes of “healthy skin, hair, and nails.†Of those reporting
