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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Andrea Burnett-Hartman, MPH, Epidemiology, University of Washington, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, F-236 Health Sciences, UW mail box 357236, Seattle, WA 98195-7236, 206-543-3716, anbh@u.washington.edu, Annette L. Fitzpatrick, PhD, MA, Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Box 354922, Seattle, WA 98195-4922, Kun (Sue) Gao, PhD Candidate, Department of Health Services, University of Washington, Box 357660, Seattle, WA 98195, Sharon A. Jackson, PhD, Division of Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, Centers fo Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, Mailstop K-47, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717, and Pamela J. Schreiner, MS, PhD, Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 S. Second St., Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454.

Background: Few studies have examined the role of vitamin supplementation in meeting the RDAs or Adequate Intakes (AIs) in older Americans. Objective: We examined the use of dietary supplementation in meeting RDAs or AIs in participants of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), a population-based cohort of Americans 45-85 years of age. Prevalence of intakes above Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULs) was also determined. Methods: At the 2000-01 baseline exam, 2,934 males and 3,295 females completed food-frequency questionnaires and provided information about dietary supplementation of calcium, magnesium, potassium and vitamin C. Total daily intake of specific nutrients was calculated by combining intake from food and dietary supplements. Multiple logistic regression and two-sample t-tests were used in the analysis. Results: Approximately 53% of the study population took dietary supplements containing calcium, potassium, magnesium or vitamin C. After adjustment for age, gender, ethnicity and education, the odds of meeting RDAs/AIs in those who took supplements vs. those who did not were 5.11 (95%CI, 4.52-5.77) for calcium, 1.10 (95%CI, 0.89-1.37) for potassium, 5.63 (95%CI, 4.97-6.38) for magnesium and 39.00 (95%CI, 28.89-52.66) for vitamin C. The proportion exceeding the UL for calcium, vitamin C and magnesium was higher among supplement-takers (p<0.001). For calcium, 10.5% of supplement-users exceeded the UL compared with 2.0% of supplement non-users. For vitamin C, the percentages were 4.4% and 0%, and for magnesium, 12.2% and 0%. Conclusion: Future research should examine the potential health benefits of supplement use and weigh these against the possible adverse effects of exceeding ULs.

Learning Objectives:

• To critically examine the role of supplement use in meeting RDAs.
• To determine if supplement use is associated with exceeding ULs
• To examine how ethnicity and gender interact with supplement use and meeting RDAs.

Keywords: Nutrition, Vitamins

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered