Pediatr Gastroenterol Hepatol Nutr.  2013 Jun;16(2):104-115.

Dietary Supplements Use and Related Factors of Preschoolers in 3 Korean Cities

• Kim HS
• Lee HY
• Kim MK

Abstract

PURPOSE
To estimate the prevalence of dietary supplement (DS) use, investigate the related factors associated with DS use among preschoolers and support the adequate nutrition.
METHODS
We conducted a questionnaire survey of mothers of children aged between 1 and 6 years who visited pediatric clinics in 3 Korean cities (Jeonju, Suncheon, Jeongeup) between October and November 2012 at Presbyterian Medical Center. The responses from 929 questionnaires were analyzed.
RESULTS
Approximately 45.1% of the preschoolers used DS in the past month. The following factors were associated with greater use of DS: older age (p<0.001), whether or not the preschoolers attended kindergarten (p<0.001), higher mother's concern about the nutritional facts (p<0.001), whether or not the mother use DS (p<0.001), whether or not the mother counsel with a doctor or pharmacist about DS use (p<0.001). Vitamin.mineral supplements (77.5%) were the most commonly used DS among the preschoolers, followed by ginseng (49.3%) and probiotics (25.6%). Additionally, of the DS users, 95.9% gave DS to their healthy children. Of the users and non-users, 97.6% and 62.2%, respectively, indicated that they would like to have their children take DS. The information on DS was obtained from family or friends in 48.2% of the DS users and from doctors in only 6.1%.
CONCLUSION
Approximately half of the preschoolers in our study used DS, which might not have been medically indicated for most of them. Therefore, the role of professionals in counseling on desirable diet behaviors and DS use for preschoolers is warranted.

Keyword

Dietary supplements; Preschool; Energy intake

MeSH Terms

Aged
Child
Counseling
Diet
Dietary Supplements
Energy Intake
Friends
Humans
Mothers
Panax
Pharmacists
Prevalence
Probiotics
Protestantism
Surveys and Questionnaires

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Type of dietary supplements taken by user.

• 

  Fig. 2 Information source of dietary supplement.

Reference

1. Jung JA. Foods for infants and children added or fortified nutrients. In : Proceeding of the 4th symposium of the Korean society of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition; 2010 Mar. 21; Seoul. Seoul: Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition;2010.

2. Choi HJ. Nutritional supplements intake and related factors of elementary school students in Seoul area. Seoul: Univ. of Sungshin;2009.

3. Kim EM, Jung HJ, Jeong JW, Kim JW. Analysis of elementary students' intake of dietary supplements. Korean J Food Cookery Sci. 2008; 24:672–681.

4. Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. accessed on 20 October 2010. Available at http://knhanes.cdc.go.kr.

5. Kretchmer N, Zimmermann M. Infancy and nutrition. In : Kretchmer N, Zimmermann M, editors. Developmental nutrition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon;1997. p. 30.

6. Wright AL, Holberg C, Taussig LM. Infant-feeding practices among middle-class Anglos and Hispanics. Pediatrics. 1988; 82:496–503. PMID: 3405686.

7. Yom HW, Seo JW, Park H, Choi KH, Chang JY, Ryoo E, et al. Current feeding practices and maternal nutritional knowledge on complementary feeding in Korea. Korean J Pediatr. 2009; 52:1090–1102.

8. Lee J, Kim D, Lee Y, Koh E, Jang Y, Lee H, et al. Influencing factors on the dietary supplements consumption among children in Korea. Korean J Community Nutr. 2011; 16:740–750.

9. Min IJ. A study on dietary life habits, food preference of the infants, and knowledges and attitudes of teachers and parents about nutrition, and growth and problem behavior of the infants. Seoul: Univ. of Kyung Hee Early Childhood Education;2009.

10. Kim YH, Lee SG, Kim SH, Song YJ, Chung JY, Park MJ. Nutritional status of Korean toddlers: from the Korean national health and nutrition examination survey 2007~2009. Korean J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2011; 14:161–170.

11. Lee GS. Dietary supplements of toddlers. In : Proceeding of the 7th symposium of the Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition; 2013. p. 1–5.

12. Chung KH. Current situation and mangement policy on vitamin and mineral as health functional foods. Health Welf Policy Forum. 2009; 155:41–49.

13. Yi HH, Park HA, Kang JH, Kang JH, Kim KW, Cho YG, et al. What types of dietary supplements are used in Korea? Data from the Korean national health and nutritional examination survey 2005. Korean J Fam Med. 2009; 30:934–943.

14. Picciano MF, Dwyer JT, Radimer KL, Wilson DH, Fisher KD, Thomas PR, et al. Dietary supplement use among infants, children, and adolescents in the United States, 1999-2002. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007; 161:978–985. PMID: 17909142.

15. Yoon JY, Park HA, Kang JH, Kim KW, Hur YI, Park JJ, et al. Prevalence of dietary supplement use in Korean children and adolescents: insights from Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2009. J Korean Med Sci. 2012; 27:512–517. PMID: 22563216.

16. Sichert-Hellert W, Kersting M. Vitamin and mineral supplements use in German children and adolescents between 1986 and 2003: results of the DONALD Study. Ann Nutr Metab. 2004; 48:414–419. PMID: 15665507.

17. Shaikh U, Byrd RS, Auinger P. Vitamin and mineral supplement use by children and adolescents in the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: relationship with nutrition, food security, physical activity, and health care access. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2009; 163:150–157. PMID: 19188647.

18. Vernacchio L, Kelly JP, Kaufman DW, Mitchell AA. Vitamin, fluoride, and iron use among US children younger than 12 years of age: results from the Slone Survey 1998-2007. J Am Diet Assoc. 2011; 111:285–289. PMID: 21272704.

19. Yu SM, Kogan MD, Gergen P. Vitamin-mineral supplement use among preschool children in the United States. Pediatrics. 1997; 100:E4. PMID: 9346998.

20. Lim JW. The changing trends in live birth statistics in Korea, 1970 to 2010. Korean J Pediatr. 2011; 54:429–435. PMID: 22253639.

21. Song BC, Kim MK. Patterns of Vitamin-Mineral Supplement Use among Preschool Children in Korea. Korean J Nutr. 1998; 31:1066–1075.

22. Han JH, Kim SH. Vitamin.mineral supplement use and related variables by Korean adolescents. Korean J Nutr. 1999; 32:268–276.

23. Sin YJ, Kim YH. Early childhood care and education in an aging Korea. Seoul: KIHASA;2012. p. 131–134.

24. Ryou HJ, Nam HJ, Min YH, Kim YJ, Park HR. Analysis of food habits and nutrients intake of nursery school children living in Anyang city, based on Z-score of weight for height. J Korean Diet Assoc. 2004; 10:1–12.

25. Kleinman RL. Pediatric nutrition handbook. 6th ed. Elk Grove Village: American Academy of Pediatrics;2009. p. 155–156.

26. Kim MK, Jung JH, Min DL, Lee HJ, Park EJ. Study to examine the awareness of the parents, whose children are attending an elementary school in Gyeonggi-do, on herbal medication and health functional food. J Korean Oriental Pediatr. 2011; 25:111–118.

27. Walker WA. Eat, play, and be healthy: the Harvard Medical School guide to healthy eating for kids. New York: McGraw-Hill;2005.

28. Lohse B, Stotts JL, Priebe JR. Survey of herbal use by Kansas and Wisconsin WIC participants reveals moderate, appropriate use and identifies herbal education needs. J Am Diet Assoc. 2006; 106:227–237. PMID: 16442871.

29. Niggemann B, Grüber C. Side-effects of complementary and alternative medicine. Allergy. 2003; 58:707–716. PMID: 12859546.

30. Kim YJ, Mun JA, Min H. Supplement dose and health-related life style of vitamin-mineral supplement user among Korean Middle-Aged. Korean J Community Nutr. 2004; 9:303–314.

31. Chang NS, Choi YS, Min HS. Safe upper levels of vitamins and minerals in functional foods. In : Proceeding of Korean Nutrition Society; Seoul: Korean Nutrition Society;2005. p. 32–36.

32. Park JS, Lee JH. Elementary school childrens intake patterns of health functional foods and parents requirements in Daejeon area. Korean J Community Nutr. 2008; 13:463–475.

33. Bailey RL, Fulgoni VL 3rd, Keast DR, Lentino CV, Dwyer JT. Do dietary supplements improve micronutrient sufficiency in children and adolescents? J Pediatr. 2012; 161:837–842. PMID: 22717218.

34. Allen RE, Myers AL. Nutrition in toddlers. Am Fam Physician. 2006; 74:1527–1532. PMID: 17111891.

35. Jung KH. Research direction for functional foods safety. J Food Hyg Saf. 2010; 25:410–417.

36. Park HA, Kim SY. Nutritional supplements. J Korean Med Assoc. 2012; 55:889–897.