Assessing People's Knowledge and Beliefs About Dietary Supplements

Abstract

Many Americans have turned to dietary supplements for help in losing weight despite the significant health risks associated with their use. This study examines what people know and believe about dietary supplements. Results showed that participants were generally knowledgeable about dietary supplements, including their purpose, where they are sold, and the possibility that some dietary supplements can have unhealthy side effects. However, participants' knowledge and beliefs differed significantly as a function of gender, educational status, and whether they had ever taken dietary supplements. Users tended to perceive dietary supplements as less risky than participants who had never used them. Both male and student participants held more optimistic perceptions about the expected benefits and risks of dietary supplements, but were less likely to read the labels on these products. These results indicate that individual differences need to be taken into account when developing risk communications to accompany dietary supplements. Future research should address how knowledge gaps about dietary supplements can be addressed by educational and warning materials to influence knowledge and beliefs with the goal of providing needed information to make informed healthful decisions.