scholarly journals Dietary Supplement Use Differs by Socioeconomic and Health-Related Characteristics among U.S. Adults, NHANES 2011–2014

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Cowan ◽  
Shinyoung Jun ◽  
Jaime Gahche ◽  
Janet Tooze ◽  
Johanna Dwyer ◽  
...  

The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of use and types of dietary supplements (DS) used by U.S. adults (≥19 years) by sociodemographic characteristics: family income-to-poverty ratio (PIR), food security status, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation using NHANES 2011–2014 data (n = 11,024). DS use was ascertained via a home inventory and a retrospective 30-day questionnaire. Demographic and socioeconomic differences related to DS use were evaluated using a univariate t statistic. Half of U.S. adults (52%) took at least one DS during a 30-day period; multivitamin-mineral (MVM) products were the most commonly used (31%). DS and MVM use was significantly higher among those with a household income of ≥ 350% of the poverty level, those who were food secure, and SNAP income-ineligible nonparticipants across all sex, age, and race/ethnic groups. Among women, prevalence of use significantly differed between SNAP participants (39%) and SNAP income-eligible nonparticipants (54%). Older adults (71+ years) remained the highest consumers of DS, specifically among the highest income group (82%), while younger adults (19–30 years), predominantly in the lowest income group (28%), were the lowest consumers. Among U.S. adults, DS use and the types of products consumed varied with income, food security, and SNAP participation.

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shinyoung Jun ◽  
Alexandra Cowan ◽  
Janet Tooze ◽  
Jaime Gahche ◽  
Johanna Dwyer ◽  
...  

This analysis characterizes use of dietary supplements (DS) and motivations for DS use among U.S. children (≤18 years) by family income level, food security status, and federal nutrition assistance program participation using the 2011–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. About one-third (32%) of children used DS, mostly multivitamin-minerals (MVM; 24%). DS and MVM use were associated with higher family income and higher household food security level. DS use was lowest among children in households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP; 20%) and those participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC; 26%) compared to both income-eligible and income-ineligible nonparticipants. Most children who used DS took only one (83%) or two (12%) products; although children in low-income families took fewer products than those in higher income families. The most common motivations for DS and MVM use were to “improve (42% or 46%)” or “maintain (34 or 38%)” health, followed by “to supplement the diet (23 or 24%)” for DS or MVM, respectively. High-income children were more likely to use DS and MVM “to supplement the diet” than middle- or low-income children. Only 18% of child DS users took DS based on a health practitioner’s recommendation. In conclusion, DS use was lower among children who were in low-income or food-insecure families, or families participating in nutrition assistance programs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 1007-1007
Author(s):  
Katelin Hudak ◽  
Sarah Gonzalez-Nahm ◽  
Tiange Liu ◽  
Sara Benjamin-Neelon

Abstract Objectives Food insecurity has been associated with poor diet-related health in women, but few prior studies focused on the postpartum period—a particularly important time for the health of women and children. We examined associations between food security and maternal diet quality in a racially diverse cohort of postpartum women. We further assessed whether participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) modified this potential relation. Methods We examined 363 women in central North Carolina from the Nurture study (2013–2017). We computed maternal food security status using the 10-item USDA food security survey module at 3 months postpartum. We calculated Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI) scores (range of 0 to 100) and component scores from food frequency questionnaires completed at 6 months postpartum. We conducted multiple linear regression examining associations between food security status (high, marginal, low, and very low) and AHEI, adjusting for age, race, education, marital status, number of children, breastfeeding, and total calories. We assessed WIC and SNAP as potential effect modifiers. Results Among women, 64.4% were Black and had a mean (standard deviation, SD) age of 28.2 (5.9) years. Nearly half (45.7%) had a high school diploma or less. Of women, 21.3% had low or very low food security. Mean (SD) AHEI score was 41.5 (11.3). We found no evidence of an interaction between food security and WIC or SNAP so we adjusted for both. In adjusted models, food security status at 3 months postpartum was not associated with AHEI (data not shown) at 6 months postpartum. However, low (ß: −0.64; 95% CI: −1.15, −0.13; P = 0.01) and very low (ß: −0.57; 95% CI: −1.02, −0.13; P = 0.01) food security were associated with a less healthy score for trans fat intake. Conclusions Food security status was not associated with overall diet quality in postpartum women. However, food insecure women showed higher consumption of trans fats. Future research should evaluate interventions to alleviate food insecurity in postpartum women, and assess whether these interventions lead to improved diet quality. Funding Sources National Institutes of Health.


2020 ◽  
Vol 150 (8) ◽  
pp. 2191-2198
Author(s):  
Rebecca L Rivera ◽  
Yumin Zhang ◽  
Qi Wang ◽  
Melissa K Maulding ◽  
Janet A Tooze ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Background The diet quality among adults receiving nutrition education lessons through Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) is currently unknown. Objectives The objectives of this study were to characterize the diet quality of Indiana SNAP-Ed-eligible women; estimate their mean usual intake of fruits, vegetables, dairy, and whole grains compared to Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommendations; and determine if these dietary outcomes differed by food security status. Methods SNAP-Ed paraprofessionals recruited participants from August 2015 to May 2016 for this secondary analysis of cross-sectional data collected as the baseline assessment for a randomized controlled trial. Participants were SNAP-Ed-eligible women aged ≥18 y interested in nutrition education lessons. Dietary outcomes were assessed by one or two 24-h dietary recalls. The Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2010 was used to characterize diet quality. Mean usual intake of food groups was estimated using the National Cancer Institute Method. Food security status was classified using the US Household Food Security Survey Module. Data were analyzed in October 2019. Results Mean ± SEM HEI-2010 total score was 42 ± 0.9 for the study sample. Mean ± SE usual intake of servings of fruits (0.61 ± 0.08 cups [144.32 ± 18.93 mL]), vegetables [1.4 ± 0.10 cups (331.2 ± 23.66 mL)], dairy [1.5 ± 0.11 cups (354.88 ± 26.02 mL)], and whole grains [0.48 ± 0.06 ounces (13.61 ± 1.70 g)] did not differ by food security subgroup. Mean HEI-2010 total score was significantly higher by 4.8 ± 2.0 points for the food-secure than for the food-insecure subgroup (P = 0.01). Mean HEI-2010 component scores were 1.1 ± 0.5 points higher for whole grain (P = 0.01) and 1.0 ± 0.5 points higher for dairy (P = 0.05) in the food-secure than in the food-insecure subgroup. The proportions of the study sample not meeting the DGA recommendations for food group intake were ≥85% for both food-secure and -insecure subgroups. Conclusions Indiana SNAP-Ed-eligible women reported poor diet quality, highlighting their need for nutrition interventions aiming to improve food security and diet as per DGA recommendations in low-income populations.


Author(s):  
Ryan J. Gamba ◽  
Lana Mariko Wood ◽  
Adianez Ampil ◽  
Alina Engelman ◽  
Juleen Lam ◽  
...  

Restaurant delivery services have gained in popularity among college students; however, students participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are not allowed to redeem their benefits via restaurant delivery services. This mixed-methods head-to-head crossover trial assessed whether college students experiencing marginal food security prefer benefits via a grocery store gift card (as a proxy for traditional SNAP benefits) or via a restaurant delivery service gift card of equivalent value, and which type of benefit is more effective at improving food security status. Thirty college students experiencing marginal food security were recruited to receive $80 in cash equivalent benefits to spend over a two-month period in the form of grocery store gift cards and restaurant delivery service gift cards. Participants completed surveys and interviews to measure their food security status and share their experiences with each benefit type. After four months of benefits, 48.3% of participants improved their food security status. However, neither type of benefit was statistically better at improving food security status. Most participants preferred grocery store benefits (89.7%) over restaurant delivery service benefits (10.3%). However, more research is needed to explore whether allowing SNAP recipients to redeem their benefits with restaurant delivery services is a viable mechanism to address food challenges among college students experiencing marginal food security.


2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazue Ishitsuka ◽  
Satoshi Sasaki ◽  
Hidetoshi Mezawa ◽  
Mizuho Konishi ◽  
Maki Igarashi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background A variety of dietary supplements are commercially available. However, the efficacy and safety of dietary supplement use in children are not well established. Understanding dietary supplement use is important for developing public health policy regarding dietary supplements. This study aimed to investigate the types of dietary supplements used and characteristics of dietary supplement users among Japanese elementary school children. Method We conducted a cross-sectional web-based questionnaire study. Dietary supplement use, socio-demographics, and health-related behaviors were assessed through mother-reported questionnaire. Types of dietary supplements were identified based on ingredient using product barcodes and brand names. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the socio-demographics and health-related behaviors associated with supplement use. Results Among 4933 children, 333 (6.8%) were identified as dietary supplement users. The most common supplement was amino acids or protein (1.4%), followed by n–3 fatty acids or fish oil (1.0%), probiotics (1.0%), multivitamins (0.9%), multivitamin-minerals (0.8%), and botanicals (0.8%). Overall, any dietary supplement use was significantly associated with the highest frequency of sports participation (odds ratio [OR], 2.58; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.65–4.02), highest household income (OR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.13–3.10), highest maternal educational level (OR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.31–2.52), and male sex (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.09–1.75). The highest frequency of sports participation was significantly associated with higher odds of use of amino acids or protein (OR, 6.06; 95% CI, 1.78–20.6) and multivitamins (OR, 3.56; 95% CI, 1.11–11.5), compared to the lowest frequency of sports participation. Conclusion This study showed that Japanese children primarily use non-vitamin, non-mineral supplements. Non-vitamin, non-mineral supplements should thus be included in future studies aimed at monitoring dietary supplement use. We also found that dietary supplement use in children was associated with sports participation. Guidelines for dietary supplement use for children, in particular sport participants, are needed.


Author(s):  
Jun Zhang ◽  
Yanghao Wang ◽  
Steven T. Yen

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is designed to improve household diet and food security—a pressing problem confronting low-income families in the United States. Previous studies on the issue often ignored the methodological issue of endogenous program participation. We revisit this important issue by estimating a simultaneous equation system with ordinal household food insecurity. Data are drawn from the 2009–2011 Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement (CPS-FSS), restricted to SNAP-eligible households with children. Our results add to the stocks of empirical findings that SNAP participation ameliorates food insecurity among adults only, but increases the probabilities of low and very low food security among children. These contradictory results indicate that our selection approach with a single cross section is only partially successful, and that additional efforts are needed in further analyses of this complicated issue, perhaps with longitudinal data. Socio-demographic variables are found to affect food-secure households and food-insecure households differently, but affect SNAP nonparticipants and participants in the same direction. The state policy tools, such as broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE) and simplified reporting, can encourage SNAP participation and thus ameliorate food insecurity. Our findings can inform policy deliberations.


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Beth Osborne Daponte

AbstractThe United States has a food assistance structure that, by design, does not assure that households receiving food assistance will be food secure, is deeply inefficient, and is at financial and structural risk. The two most common forms of food assistance used today are Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly the Food Stamp Program) and charitable food assistance in the form of groceries (provided through a network of food banks, food pantries, and other related programs). Approximately 43 million persons participate in SNAP and nearly one-third of them also rely on a food pantry for groceries. The use of charitable food assistance by persons relying on SNAP demonstrates that SNAP’s benefit level and structure does not sufficiently result in food security. The article argues that reinstating a purchase requirement for SNAP and increasing the level of benefits provided to SNAP participants would increase the food security of participants, alleviate the chronic demand for food from food banks and food pantries, and ultimately allow the charitable food assistance network to better accomplish its goal of providing emergency food assistance to the needy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fred Molitor ◽  
Celeste Doerr ◽  
John Pugliese ◽  
Lauren Whetstone

AbstractObjective:To examine trends from 2015 to 2017 in dietary behaviours and diet quality among low-income mothers, teenagers and children.Design:Cross-sectional telephone surveys using a validated 24 h dietary assessment.Setting:Randomly sampled households with incomes ≤185 % of the US federal poverty level across California.Participants:Survey participants were 13 247 mothers (≥18 years), 3293 teenagers (12–17 years) and 6043 children (5–11 years). Respondents were mostly Latino.Results:Over the 3-year study period, consumption of fruits and vegetables with and without 100 % fruit juice increased (P ≤ 0·05) by at least 0·3 cups/d for mothers, teenagers and children. Intake of water also increased (P ≤ 0·001) by more than 1 cup/d for mothers and children and 2 cups/d for teenagers. Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption was unchanged over the 3 years. Overall diet quality, as assessed by the Healthy Eating Index-2015, improved (P ≤ 0·01) for mothers, teenagers and children. Covariates for the fifteen regression models (three age groups by five outcome variables) included race/ethnicity, age, education for mothers, and gender for teenagers and children.Conclusions:The observed increases in fruit and vegetable intake and improvements in overall diet quality during the 3-year period suggest that low-income Californians may have lowered their risk of preventable diseases. However, more intense or strategic SSB-reduction interventions are required. Regional- or state-level, population-based surveillance of dietary behaviours is useful for public health nutrition policy and programme decision making, and can be used to assess potential trends in future negative health outcomes and related costs associated with poor dietary behaviours within at-risk populations.


Author(s):  
Denise Holston ◽  
Jessica Stroope ◽  
Matthew Greene ◽  
Bailey Houghtaling

Food insecurity in rural settings is complex and not fully understood, especially from the perspective of low-income and Black residents. The goal of this study was to use qualitative methods to better understand experiences with food access and perceptions of the food environment among low-income, predominately Black rural Louisiana residents in the United States. Data were collected from focus group discussions (FGD) and focus group intake forms. Study participants were all rural residents eligible to receive at least one nutrition assistance program. FGD questions focused on perceptions of the food environment, with an emphasis on food access. Participants (n = 44) were predominately Black and female. Over half (n = 25) reported running out of food before the end of the month. Major themes included: store choice, outshopping, methods of acquiring foods other than the grocery store, and food insecurity. Concerns around price, quality, and transportation emerged as factors negatively impacting food security. Understanding residents’ perceptions and experiences is necessary to inform contextually appropriate and feasible policy and practice interventions that address the physical environment and social conditions that shape the broader physical food environment in order to achieve equitable food access and food security.


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