Use of Dietary Supplements in the United States, 1988-94 

Series 11, No. 244. Use of Dietary Supplements in the United States, 1988-94.
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This report presents estimates of the prevalence of use of dietary supplements among the U.S. population by various demographic and descriptive characteristics, the number of products taken, and types of supplements taken by broad product type categories.

Approximately 40 percent of the population took dietary supplements during the month prior to the interview. Females (44 percent) were more likely to take a supplement than males (35 percent). Non-Hispanic whites persons (43 percent) were more likely to take supplements than non-Hispanic black persons (30 percent) and Mexican American persons (29 percent). Children between 1 and 5 years of age were major users of supplements, ranging from 42 to 51 percent taking supplements.

Overall, Non-Hispanic white persons were more likely to take supplements than non-Hispanic blacks and Mexican American persons (43 percent vs. 30 and 29 percent, respectively. The same pattern was true for men as a whole and women as a whole. Non-Hispanic white men in the age groups between 1 and 29 years of age were more likely to take supplements than either of the other two-ethnic groups, and non-Hispanic white persons in the age groups between 50 and 69 years of age were more likely to take supplements than non-Hispanic black persons.

Among adults 20 years of age and older, there was a trend for increasing use of dietary supplements with age, in both males and females. This trend also held when the data for each sex and race-ethnic combination were examined. However, for non-Hispanic black males the increase in supplement use seems just to occur between the 20s and 30s and remains fairly stable at around 30 percent thereafter.

Supplement use relative to self-reported health status in adult 20 years of age and older was also examined. Adults who rated their health status as very good or excellent were more likely to take supplements (45 percent) than adults who rated their health as good (39 percent) or fair or poor (39 percent).

This page last reviewed January 11, 2007