Use of dietary supplements among Alexandria University employees, Egypt Dalia I. Tayel a , Samar A. Ali a , Fikrat A.F. El-Sahn a and Moataza M. Abdel Wahab b Departments of a Nutrition and b Biostatistics, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt Correspondence to Dalia Ibrahim Tayel, Department of Nutrition, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, 165 El-Horreya Avenue, El-Hadrah, 21561 Alexandria, Egypt Tel: + 20 1223596720; fax: + 20 03 4288436; e-mail: dalia2tayel@yahoo.com Received 3 June 2012 Accepted 29 August 2012 Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association 2012, 87:90–95 Background There is insufficient information on the usage of dietary supplements among Egyptians. The aim of this study was to identify the pattern of dietary supplement usage among employees of Alexandria University. Participants and methods A comparative cross-sectional study was carried out on 500 staff members, clerks, and workers of Alexandria University. The sample studied was equally allocated between seven institutions (three from medical sectors and four from nonmedical sectors), and was randomly selected from each institution after obtaining their verbal consent. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, lifestyle practices, dietary intake, and pattern of dietary supplement usage were collected from each participant. Results The use of dietary supplement was reported by 31.2% of the participants. These supplements were mainly multivitamins, iron, or calcium. Almost half of the users (52.6%) had used supplements regularly for years. The supplements were prescribed by doctors among 70.6% of the users for protection against diseases or to improve mental and physical well-being. The daily intake of the studied nutrients for both users and nonusers was found to be lesser than their requirements; also there was no statistically significant difference in the levels of nutrients studied, except in the adequacy of riboflavin, which was found to be higher among users than among nonusers (P = 0.040). Female sex, higher educational and occupational levels, and the presence of chronic diseases were associated with the increased usage of dietary supplements. Conclusion and recommendation Dietary intake of the studied nutrients for both users and nonusers of supplements was found to be less than their daily requirements. Nutritional education programs highlighting the importance of eating a balanced diet or the usage of dietary supplements are recommended for university employees. Keywords: adults, dietary supplements, Egyptians J Egypt Public Health Assoc 87:90–95 & 2012 Egyptian Public Health Association 0013-2446 Introduction Vitamins and minerals are essential micronutrients that are required by the body in adequate amounts to maintain normal physiological functions. They are natu- rally present in food and the deficiency of these elements leads to specific nutritional deficiencies [1]. There is an increasing trend in the usage of vitamin and mineral supplements, especially among adults in industrialized countries [2]. Many individuals take dietary supplements to maintain their health. A dietary supplement can be defined as a product that contains one or more of the following dietary ingredients: vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, or a combination of these ingredients in the form of a concentrate, metabolite, constituent, or extract that is intended to supplement the diet by increasing the total daily intake of these elements [1]. There are often supplements for a single element such as vitamin A, E, C, iron, and calcium, or multivitamin, multimineral, or multivitamin–multimineral supplements [3]. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) of 1999–2000 reported that 52% of American adults reported taking dietary supplements, 35% of whom reported using multivitamin–multimineral supplements on a regular basis and about 47% of older adults reported taking these supplements [4,5]. They believed that sup- plements could treat or prevent cold, mental illness, certain types of cancer, and arthritis [6]. The use of vitamin and mineral supplements by adults is recommended in specific situations, such as folic acid 90 Original article 0013-2446 & 2012 Egyptian Public Health Association DOI: 10.1097/01.EPX.0000419668.87559.36 Copyright © Egyptian Public Health Association. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.