WASHINGTON, Nov 13, 2007 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The landmark
"Life...supplemented" Healthcare Professionals (HCP) Impact Study found that
more than three quarters of U.S. physicians (79 percent) and nurses (82 percent)
recommend dietary supplements to their patients. The study also shows that an
almost equal number -- 72 percent of physicians and 89 percent of nurses --
personally use vitamin, mineral, herbal and other supplements either regularly,
occasionally or seasonally, which is a higher percentage than the 68 percent (1)
of adults who report they take nutritional or dietary supplements.
With mainstream use of dietary supplements in the U.S. -- more than 150 million
Americans take them each year -- the 2007 "Life ... supplemented" HCP Impact
Study on dietary supplements was designed to evaluate the personal attitudes and
use of dietary supplements by physicians and nurses and to determine if those
factors impact whether they recommend supplements for their patients. The study
was sponsored by the "Life ... supplemented" consumer wellness campaign, which
is managed by the Council for Responsible Nutrition.
Who Recommends Supplements? Of the 72 percent of physicians who use supplements,
85 percent also recommend them to their patients; and of the 28 percent of
physicians who do not use supplements, three out of five (62 percent) still
recommend them.
"It is common sense that physicians who personally take supplements also
recommend them to their patients," said Donnica Moore, M.D., president of the
Sapphire Women's Health Group and a member of the study's physician advisor
team.* She added, "It's interesting that the majority of physicians who don't
use supplements still recognize their patients may benefit from them. Although
the study doesn't provide an explanation, it may simply be that physicians
recommend supplements to their patients for specific conditions that don't apply
to the physician's own personal health."
Should Physicians Recommend More Supplements? The number of physicians
recommending dietary supplements to their patients is highest among
obstetrician/gynecologists (OB/GYNs) (91 percent), followed by primary care
physicians (84 percent). In addition, the study shows that almost three quarters
of physicians (72 percent) and more than three quarters of nurses (88 percent)
say it is a good idea for patients to take a multivitamin.
The study found that almost half of physicians and nurses who take supplements
most often do so for "overall health/wellness benefits," while 41 percent of
physicians and 62 percent of nurses who recommend supplements most often do so
for the same reasons. Primary care physicians, OB/GYNs and nurses recommend
supplements as often for "general well-being/prevention" as they do for special
conditions, while other specialists recommend supplements more often for special
conditions.
According to Dr. Moore, "It makes sense to me that OB/GYNs are the group most
likely to recommend supplements, although I am concerned that not all OB/GYNs
reported they recommend them for their prenatal patients, given that women's
health -- especially prenatal -- is one arena where the data supporting
supplement use is overwhelmingly positive."
Among the physicians surveyed, 51 percent use dietary supplements regularly, 19
percent use them occasionally and two percent use them seasonally. Among nurses,
59 percent use them regularly, 27 percent use them occasionally and 3 percent
use them seasonally.
Initiating the Discussion. "Given the current state of the science, it is not
surprising that increasing numbers of healthcare professionals are incorporating
dietary supplements into their personal health routines. However, the fact that
only 25 percent of physicians actively counsel patients regarding their dietary
supplement use demonstrates an on-going and concerning problem that requires
more outreach and education," said Tieraona Low Dog, M.D, director of education,
Program in Integrative Medicine, and clinical assistant professor, Department of
Medicine, University of Arizona Health Sciences.
Paula Gardiner, M.D., an assistant professor at Boston University Medical
Center, who has conducted several surveys on the use of dietary supplements by
physicians and is a member of the study's physician advisor team, cites the need
for additional research, saying: "It is critical to better understand how
healthcare professionals recommend dietary supplements to their patients and how
we can support educational initiatives to encourage dialogue between HCPs and
their patients about the proper use of dietary supplements."
Almost three quarters of physicians (72 percent) and even more nurses (87
percent) reported they personally ask their patients about their use of dietary
supplements. Also, 40 percent of physicians and 43 percent of nurses report that
when discussing supplements with their patients, they, not their patients, are
the ones who bring up the subject most often. Only 13 percent of physicians and
one percent of nurses agreed with the statement that "no one in my practice
inquires about which dietary supplements patients are taking."
Methodology: The "Life ... supplemented" HCP Impact Study of 1,177 healthcare
professionals (300 primary care physicians, 301 OB/GYNs, 299 other physician
specialists and 277 registered nurses and nurse practitioners) was conducted
online, October 3-11, 2007 by Ipsos-Public Affairs. Margins of sampling error at
a 95 percent confidence level range from +/- 5.6 percent to +/- 5.9 percent for
each of the four groups of healthcare professionals surveyed. A nominal
honorarium was given to each healthcare professional completing the survey.
About the "Life ... supplemented" HCP Impact Study: The study is part of the
"Life ... supplemented" consumer wellness campaign, which is dedicated to
driving awareness about the mainstream use of dietary supplements as an integral
part of a proactive personal wellness regimen that combines healthy diet,
supplements and exercise. The study was undertaken following a search of the
current medical literature that revealed disparities among definitions of
dietary supplements, instruments and populations surveyed that raised more
questions than answered, specifically whether the personal use of supplements by
healthcare professionals correlates to their recommendations to patients. The
"Life ... supplemented" campaign is managed by the Council for Responsible
Nutrition, the leading trade association for the dietary supplement industry.
For more information: www.lifesupplemented.org.
* Four physicians were advisors to the study: Robert Bonakdar, MD, Director of
Pain Management, Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine; Paula Gardiner, MD,
Assistant Professor, Boston University Medical Center; Donnica Moore, MD,
President, Sapphire Women's Group; and Tieraona Low Dog, MD, Director of
Education, Program in Integrative Medicine, Clinical Assistant Professor,
Department of Medicine, University of Arizona Health Sciences, provided insights
into the data.
(1) Data from the 2007 CRN Consumer Confidence Survey indicated 68 percent of
adults report taking nutritional or dietary supplements. The CRN Consumer
Confidence Survey is conducted annually. The 2007 survey, conducted by Ipsos-
Public Affairs in August 2007, was an online survey of 2,153 U.S. adults aged
18+ and the results were weighted to represent the U.S. adult population
For More Information, Contact
Veronica Hunt Erin Schaal Season Solorio
CRT/tanaka CRT/tanaka Council for Responsible
310.659.5380 646.218.6019 Nutrition
vhunt@crt-tanaka.com eschaal@crt-tanaka.com 202.204.7970
ssolorio@crnusa.org
SOURCE Council for Responsible Nutrition
URL: http://www.lifesupplemented.org
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