Qidwai Waris, Samani Zahra Aziz, Azam Iqbal, Lalani Saima
Oman Med J. 2012 Mar;27(2):116-20. doi: 10.5001/omj.2012.24.
To determine the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding the use of vitamin supplements among patients visiting Out-Patient clinics of a teaching hospital.
Four hundred patients were interviewed during the period of July to September 2008, at the Out-patient clinics, Aga Khan University hospital, Karachi. A pre-tested and structured questionnaire was used to collect information. It consisted of questions regarding demographics, awareness of vitamin supplements and its consumption, reasons for usage and its effects. The purpose of the study was explained and assurance of confidentiality was given. After obtaining written consent, eligible individuals were interviewed. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 19.0 was used to analyze the data.
The results revealed that 98% of the respondents were aware of vitamin supplements. The most known vitamin was found to be Vitamin C (16.9%) with Vitamin K being the least well-known (0.4%); while 51.8% of the respondents were unaware of the harmful effects of vitamin supplements. The results also showed that 84.8% of the study population had taken vitamin supplements, and 79% of the participants considered that vitamin supplements to be helpful. Taking vitamin supplements as a compensation for the deficiencies in the body was the most frequently chosen answer (17.7%) as the reason for use of vitamin supplements. On the other hand, a majority of the population was unaware of the indications for use of vitamin supplements.
This study highlights a very significant yet ignored issue of vitamin supplementation in Pakistan. A need exists to inform the general population about the use of vitamin supplementation. The media and the medical community are required to play their role in this regard. Short/ refresher training courses are needed for doctors to update and disseminate adequate knowledge of vitamin supplementation to their patients.
确定在一家教学医院门诊就诊的患者中，关于使用维生素补充剂的知识、态度和行为。
2008年7月至9月期间，在卡拉奇阿迦汗大学医院门诊对400名患者进行了访谈。使用经过预测试的结构化问卷收集信息。问卷包括有关人口统计学、对维生素补充剂的认知及其消费情况、使用原因及其影响的问题。解释了研究目的并保证保密。在获得书面同意后，对符合条件的个体进行了访谈。使用社会科学统计软件包第19.0版分析数据。
结果显示，98%的受访者知晓维生素补充剂。最知名的维生素是维生素C（16.9%），最不知名的是维生素K（0.4%）；而51.8%的受访者不知道维生素补充剂的有害影响。结果还表明，84.8%的研究人群服用过维生素补充剂，79%的参与者认为维生素补充剂有帮助。将服用维生素补充剂作为对身体缺乏的一种补偿是最常被选择的使用维生素补充剂的原因（17.7%）。另一方面，大多数人不知道维生素补充剂的使用指征。
本研究凸显了巴基斯坦维生素补充这一非常重要却被忽视的问题。有必要向普通民众宣传维生素补充剂的使用。媒体和医学界需要在这方面发挥作用。医生需要参加短期/进修培训课程，以便更新并向患者传播足够的维生素补充知识。
