Prevalence of food supplement consumption in healthcare academics at a university center of Caxias do Sul and correlation with sociodemographic and lifestyle variations

Abstract

Introduction and objective: Food is important for the quality of life and, when the intake is not enough to meet the needs, the use of supplements can bring benefits. Health students are influenced by aesthetic standards and sometimes resort to supplements to adapt to this reality. This study will assess the prevalence of food consumption, correlating with sociodemographic and lifestyle variables, in academics in the health area. Materials and methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study of a quantitative nature. Through an online questionnaire, sociodemographic, anthropometric and data related to the practice of physical exercises and consumption of supplements were collected. Participated in the study 184 academics from physical education, nutrition, physical therapy, nursing and pharmacy. Results and Conclusion: 44.6% of the students consumed supplements and the majority, 37.8% started consumption without a prescription by a professional, referring to 'own indication/myself', 31.7% sought information from nutritionists and 24.4% from a personal trainer. The main purposes of consumption were to gain muscle mass and strength. Most consumers were female (72%; p=0,016), nutrition students (53.7%; p=0,000), from the last semesters of the course (79.3%; p=0,01) and practitioners of physical activity (87.8%; p=0,000). Thus, it is observed that many academics use supplements without the correct indication, making studies essential to reduce adverse effects and improve people's quality of life through the benefits that can be achieved with adequate consumption.