Attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of Australia dietitians regarding dietary supplements: A cross-sectional survey

Perspectives and practices of nutritionists on dietary supplements for elite soccer teams: a cross-sectional survey study

Introduction and objectives

Dietary supplements are part of the nutritional strategies frequently applied in sports performance support. With growing research on this subject and high demand from athletes, nutritionists need to keep up to date with the latest evidence and utility of dietary supplements, particularly in real-world contexts. As information about the use of dietary supplements among elite soccer players is still scarce, this work aimed to know how nutritionists working with elite soccer teams perceive and use these substances in their daily practice.

Methods

A questionnaire previously used to describe nutritionists' beliefs and attitudes regarding the use of dietary supplements in a clinical context was adapted for this study. The online questionnaire was addressed to nutritionists working with elite soccer teams from six European Leagues and Brazil, between November 2022 and February 2023.

Results

Overall, the participants considered themselves well-trained (76.9%), knowledgeable (95.4%), and interested in dietary supplements (95.4%). The majority (70.8%) of the participants agreed or strongly agreed to recommend dietary supplements to soccer players. Personal usage of dietary supplements was associated with recommending supplements (p < 0.001), but no relationships were found with years of experience and academic level.

Discussion

Nutritionists working with elite soccer players consider the use of dietary supplements for performance-enhancement purposes and not only to compensate for nutritional deficits, which might contribute to their higher interest, training and perceived knowledge about this topic. Participants recognize players' interest in dietary supplements, and are mindful of the safety and efficacy of these products. The present study suggests that nutritionists working with elite soccer teams are among the highest prescribers of dietary supplements, although personal usage is lower than that of nutritionists working in a clinical context.

Knowledge and Beliefs about Herb/Supplement Consumption and Herb/Supplement-Drug Interactions among the General Population, including Healthcare Professionals and Pharmacists: A Systematic Review and Guidelines for a Smart Decision System

The increased consumption of a variety of herbs/supplements has been raising serious health concerns. Owing to an inadequate understanding of herb/supplement-drug interactions, the simultaneous consumption of these products may result in deleterious effects and, in extreme cases, even fatal outcomes. This systematic review is aimed at understanding the knowledge and beliefs about the consumption of herbs/supplements and herb/drug-supplement interactions (HDIs). The study follows the PRISMA guidelines. Four online databases (Web of Science; PubMed; Cochrane; and EBSCOhost) were searched, and a total of 44 studies were included, encompassing 16,929 participants. Herb and supplement consumption is explained mostly by the reported benefits across multiple conditions and ease of use. Regarding HDIs, most people take both herbs/supplements and prescription drugs simultaneously. Only a small percentage of participants have knowledge about their interaction effects, and many reported adverse interactions or side effects. Nevertheless, the main reason for stopping the prescribed drug intake is the perceived lack of its effect, and not due to interactions. Therefore, it is important to increase the knowledge about supplement use so that further strategies can be elaborated to better detect or be alert for whenever a potentially dangerous reaction and/or interaction may occur. This paper raises awareness regarding the need for developing a decision support system and ends with some considerations about the development of a technological solution capable of detecting HDIs and, thereby, aiding in the improvement of pharmacy services.

Consumers' Perspectives and Experiences of Prebiotics and Probiotics for Gut Health in Chronic Kidney Disease

OBJECTIVES

Nutrition supplementation, including prebiotics and probiotics, is a therapeutic strategy for modulating the gut microbiome in chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the acceptability of gut-targeted supplements in this population remains largely unexplored. This study aims to describe the perceptions of nutrition supplementation, and the acceptability and experiences of pre- and probiotics in adults with Stage 3-4 CKD.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Semi-structured interview study of adults with Stage 3-4 CKD (n = 30), aged 41-80 (mean 68) years, who completed a 12-month prebiotic and probiotic intervention or placebo, were interviewed between January and March 2019. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically.

RESULTS

Five themes were identified: integrating and sustaining routine supplementation (flexibility in prescription of prebiotics and probiotics, fitting in with regular routines); striving for health benefits (hoping to improve kidney health, hoping to improve general health, confirming health benefits); facilitating pre- and probiotic supplementation (perceiving pre- and probiotics as safe, side-effects from taking pre- and probiotics); empowering knowledge (valuing the opportunity to increase knowledge of gut health); and considerations for future use (questioning credibility of health claims, average palatability of prebiotic powder, cost concerns).

CONCLUSIONS

Adults with Stage 3-4 CKD found pre- and probiotic supplements to be acceptable and complementary gut-targeted supplements. Individual preferences for nutrition supplementation should be considered alongside health knowledge to enhance uptake and adherence in practice.

Knowledge, use and practices of licensed dietitians related to dietary supplements in Lebanon

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate Lebanese licensed dietitians' knowledge, prevalence of use and recommendation of dietary supplements (DS), and their associated factors.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey.

SETTING

Dietitians across Lebanon were contacted through the telephone and were asked to participate in the study. An online self-administered questionnaire was designed and sent to dietitians either by email or by WhatsApp, between 4 March and 4 May 2020.

PARTICIPANTS

This study included 319 dietitians randomly selected from the dietitians' list that was provided by the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.

RESULTS

Around 75 % of dietitians had a knowledge score above 50 %. Overall, 73·7 % of them have used DS and 46·1 % have recommended them. Higher knowledge score was associated with less years of experience, using scientific articles as source of information on DS, and participating in research. Resorting to pharmacists was significantly associated with both nutrient supplements (NS) and herbal supplements (HS) use, whereas referring to health food stores was associated with HS use only. NS recommendation to patients was associated with personal NS use (OR = 3·38, P < 0·001), considering pharmacists as a source of information on DS (OR = 2·29, P = 0·01) and discussing DS with patients (OR = 3·82, P = 0·01). Having personally used HS (OR = 12·23, P < 0·001) and having discussed DS with patients (OR = 8·51, P = 0·01) increased the likelihood of recommending HS.

CONCLUSIONS

A proper DS education, the elaboration of national scientific guidelines and the implementation of concise laws regarding the regulations of DS would play a crucial role in supporting dietitians' practices and improving the quality of patient care with respect to DS.