Use of Dietary Supplements among Spanish Pediatricians in Daily Practice: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

Use of Dietary Supplements among Spanish Pediatricians in Daily Practice: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study. J Nutr Metab. 2019;2019:5819305 Authors: Güemes Heras I, Santamaría-Orleans A, Colinas Herrero JF, Gómez Sorrigueta P, Ortiz González L, de la Iglesia-Arnaez R, Canals Baeza A Abstract A cross-sectional survey study was designed to gather information on the use of dietary supplements by Spanish pediatricians. The study questionnaire was completed by 433 pediatricians (62% men, mean age 52.5 years) throughout the country. They also provided data on 10 of their patients (n = 4304) in which synbiotics, immune stimulants, and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) had been prescribed. Synbiotics were used by 92% of pediatricians, immune stimulants by 80.4%, and omega-3 PUFAs by 75.1%. Synbiotics were mainly used combined with antibiotics (92.6%) and for gastrointestinal disorders (91.2%), immune stimulants to enhance defenses and cold prevention (87.1%), and omega-3 PUFAs to improve symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (84.8%) and concentration (80.1%). Confidence and previous experience with the product (51.6%), composition and indications of the product (43.1%), and tolerability (39.9%) were main factors involved in decision-making. Children treated with omega-3 supplements were significantly older (mean age 7.6 (3.0) years) than those treated with synbiotics (3.9 (3.9) years) or immune stimula...
Source: Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism - Category: Nutrition Tags: J Nutr Metab Source Type: research