HEALTH BELIEFS AND SUPPLEMENT USE - ADULTS IN TAIPEI AREA

Attitudinal and demographic correlates to supplement use were investigated for 826 adults residing in Taipei. Demographic variables found to be significantly (p<0.01) related to supplement use included education, number in household and income. Supplement users tended to have higher education, fewer family members and higher income (P<0.001). The most frequent sources of information regarding health and supplements were magazines / newspapers and books. However, most adults relied on pro-fessional advice, especially physicians'. Three hundred and fifty of the respondents (42.4%) were regular / occasional supplement users. Only one hundred and thirty-five (19%) of the respondents wrote down supplement type for a recent condition. More users than non-users agreed with the statement that ''supplements can both prevent and decrease the severity of illness, cold, and skin problems'' (p<0.001). Fifteen questions on nutritional knowledge were tested, and 45.5% of the participants had scores of 9-10. Possible explanations and implications of the findings are discussed.