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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Dietary supplements seem to be nearly as popular among children as they are among adults.
Most adults in the United States take dietary supplements. Statistics show 57 percent of women and 47 percent of men take at least one dietary supplement. A new report now shows more than 30 percent of American children age 18 years and younger take some type of dietary supplement, most often multivitamins and multi-minerals. Professional groups emphasize diet as the best source of nutrients for children, but physicians may recommend supplements for certain children at risk of deficiency.
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Researchers at the National Institutes of Health analyzed data from 10,136 children from 1999 to 2002. Their findings include:
Nearly 32 percent of children used dietary supplements in the previous 30 days including 11.9 percent of those younger than one year, 38.4 percent of children one to three years old, 40.6 percent of children ages four to eight years old, 28.9 percent of nine to 13-year-olds, and 25.7 percent of those ages 14 to 18 years.
More non-Hispanic white and Mexican American children used supplements than non-Hispanic blacks.
The use of supplements was associated with higher family income, a smoke-free environment, lower body mass index in children, and less daily television, video game or computer time.
Underweight children or those at risk for being underweight were the most likely to take supplements.
The authors conclude, Dietary supplements provide a consistent daily source of nutrients for nearly one-third of U.S. children, yet individual and national-level estimates of nutrient intake rarely account for them. To truly assess the nutrient status and estimate the potential health risks of U.S. children, we must include nutrient intakes from dietary supplements as well as from food.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 2007;161:978-985
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