PREDICTORS OF NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENT USE BY THE ELDERLY

We conducted a population survey to describe patterns and determine pr edictors of the use of nutritional supplements and single-ingredient v itamins and minerals among elderly living in five adjacent urban and r ural counties in the Piedmont area of North Carolina. The stratified r andom sample consisted of 3939 black and white participants age 65 or older from the Duke Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly. The use of nutritional supplements within the previous 2 weeks was determined during an in-home interview. Multivariate anal yses, using weighted data adjusted for sampling design, were conducted to assess the association between nutritional supplement use and pred isposing, need, and enabling factors. Nutritional supplement use was r eported by 26.2% of participants and was more likely for those who wer e white women, were high school educated, were underweight, took presc ription drugs, had five or more health visits in the previous year, an d had supplemental health insurance. It was less likely for those with poor self-rated health. The majority (71.5%) of nutritional supplemen t users took at least one single-ingredient supplement. Use of such pr oducts was more likely in those who were white, born and raised in an urban area, and high school educated, and was less likely in those wit h impaired functional status. Nutritional supplement use is prevalent in community-dwelling elderly and is more commonly associated with dem ographic factors and access to health care than with need factors.