Prevalence of Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Use in the Adult Population of the Omsk Region

Introduction: Regular intake of vitamin and mineral supplements makes the diet of a contemporary man more compliant with physiological needs of his body. Available data on their use by various population groups in the Omsk Region was insufficient for a hygienic assessment of the situation, which determined the relevance of this study. 
Objective: To assess the prevalence and patterns of taking dietary supplements in the adult population of the Omsk Region.
Materials and methods: The data were collected during the nutrition and health survey of the adult population of the Omsk Region conducted in the years 2006, 2013, 2018, and 2023 involving representative and comparable samples of 1,208 respondents aged 18 to 85 years. The questionnaires used included, inter alia, questions about taking vitamin and mineral supplements.
Results: From 2006 to 2023, the frequency of food supplement intake in the adult population of the Omsk Region increased significantly from 6.3 ± 1.4 % to 17.8 ± 1.6 % (p < 0.001). Women took vitamin and mineral supplements more often than men did (p = 0.047). The proportions of urban and rural residents of the region who took supplements did not differ (p = 0.156), but the townspeople more often used them on a regular basis. In 2023, the most commonly used supplements were vitamin D (10.3 ± 1.3 %), B6 (9.3 ± 1.3 %), magnesium (8.5 ± 1.2 %), vitamins B1 (8.2 ± 1.2 %) and B12 (8.2 ± 1.2 %), and folates (8.0 ± 1.2 %). Supplement users were more likely to be younger (p = 0.006) and have a higher level of education (p < 0.001) compared to non-users, while their income was not significantly different (p = 0.634).
Conclusions: Over the 17-year period (2006–2023), the proportion of the regional adult population taking dietary supplements on a regular basis increased significantly but remained lower than in some foreign countries. Our findings can help improve the implementation of measures promoting healthy eating in the region.

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