Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
Department of Health Behavior, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
Nutrients. 2022 Aug 18;14(16):3402. doi: 10.3390/nu14163402.
Most Americans take dietary supplements (DSs) and use is even higher among cancer survivors. This secondary analysis seeks to identify types, reasons, and costs of supplements used by 367 older cancer survivors enrolled in the Harvest for Health vegetable gardening trial and evaluate associations between supplement intake and medical/socio-demographic factors. Descriptive statistics were used to identify supplement type and reasons for use. Average market price was used to estimate cost. Fifty-nine percent of the sample reported supplement use. Female (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.35-3.30), non-Hispanic White (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.05-3.0), and breast and gynecological survivors (OR 1.57, 1.03-2.38) were significantly more likely to report DS use compared to males, minorities, and survivors of other cancers. Use of vitamins (39%), multivitamins (23%), and minerals (12%) were the most prevalent. Commonly reported reasons for supplement use were to improve general health (47%) or treat medical conditions (39%) and cancer-related symptoms (12%). DSs daily costs ranged from USD 0.02 to 19.81, with a mean of USD 1.28 ± 1.74, a median of USD 0.78, and a mode of USD 0.34. DS use is prevalent among older cancer survivors, with overall health reported as the leading reason for use. Out-of-pocket recurrent costs can be substantial and underscore the need to promote a nutrient-rich diet whenever possible in this vulnerable population.
大多数美国人会服用膳食补充剂（DS），癌症幸存者的服用率更高。本二次分析旨在确定参加 Harvest for Health 蔬菜种植试验的 367 名老年癌症幸存者所服用的补充剂类型、原因和费用，并评估补充剂摄入量与医疗/社会人口统计学因素之间的关联。采用描述性统计方法来确定补充剂类型和使用原因。使用平均市场价格来估算成本。样本中有 59%的人报告服用了补充剂。女性（OR 2.11，95%CI 1.35-3.30）、非西班牙裔白人（OR 1.77，95%CI 1.05-3.0）和乳腺癌及妇科癌症幸存者（OR 1.57，95%CI 1.03-2.38）与男性、少数族裔和其他癌症幸存者相比，更有可能报告服用 DS。最常见的补充剂类型包括维生素（39%）、多种维生素（23%）和矿物质（12%）。常见的补充剂使用原因包括改善整体健康（47%）或治疗医疗状况（39%）和癌症相关症状（12%）。DS 每日费用从 0.02 美元到 19.81 美元不等，平均费用为 1.28 美元±1.74 美元，中位数为 0.78 美元，模式为 0.34 美元。老年癌症幸存者中 DS 的使用较为普遍，总体健康是使用的主要原因。自付经常性费用可能很高，这突显了在这个弱势群体中尽可能促进营养丰富的饮食的必要性。
