Abstract
Reasons given for taking herbal or vitamin and mineral supplements by 461 university students were that a friend or family member advised them or they read about it in a newspaper or magazine. Most frequently reported benefits of these supplements were to prevent colds or flu, to give more energy, and to make up for an inadequate diet. Herbal supplements were consumed by 37% (n = 171) and vitamin and mineral supplements were consumed by 62% (n = 284). Echinacea, ginseng, and Ginkgo biloba were the most frequently consumed herbal supplements and vitamin C and calcium were the most frequently consumed vitamin or mineral supplement. The relationship between taking herbal and vitamin and mineral supplements was highly significant P < .001.
PERSONS CHOOSE to use herbal supplements for a variety of reasons including dissatisfaction with conventional medicine; having more control over their own health; philosophic and spiritual appeal; lower costs for some herbal therapies 1; and the products can be chosen without a prescription. 2 Up until the 20th century, most remedies were botanicals that were found to be efficacious through trial and error. The only way to separate beneficial herbs from those considered useless or dangerous was through anecdotes passed on through word of mouth. 3
Today attitudes concerning dietary supplements are often at the opposite extremes-they are either viewed as toxic and ineffective or they are viewed as totally safe and effective. 4 Herbal medicine use is widespread and increasing, with as many as 3 in 10 Americans using herbal or dietary supplements. 5 Although recent data reveal a decline of 15% in total retail herbal sales in 2000, dietary supplements continue to be selling well. 6
Very little information has been published on the use of herbal supplements by college students or other persons in stages of the lifecycle. 7 Perkin and colleagues 8 recently reported in their study of 1000 college students that 26% used nonvitamin, nonmineral (NVNM) supplements and ginseng was the most frequently used supplement.
Information on the use of vitamin and mineral supplements by different age groups across the lifespan is also sparse. Driskell 9 in a survey of 176 graduate students determined that 67% of female and 52% of male graduate students were taking vitamin and mineral supplements. Schneider and Nordlund 10 found that 49% of 309 persons who were 60 years or older used some vitamin and mineral supplements. Bootman and Wertheimer 11 in a study of 279 families (who responded to questionnaires) conducted more than 20 years ago reported that 56.5% of families had a family member who took vitamins on a regular basis. Radimer and colleagues 7 have used the term nonvitamin, nonmineral (NVNM) supplements to describe herbals, botanicals and protein and amino acids, Brewer's yeast, and shark cartilage from NHANES III. Therefore, this acronym, NVNM, will be used in this paper to describe supplements that are not vitamins and minerals.
The objectives of this study were to determine the extent and the use of dietary supplements (NVNM supplements and vitamins and minerals) among university students; to relate the use of these supplements to certain demographic data; and to determine the reasons for taking these supplements.