The consumption of dietary supplements in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: People frequently utilize dietary supplements (DS), notably during the COVID-19 epidemic, despite the lack of data supporting their usefulness and safety in enhancing general health. This study aimed to measure the consumption of DS in Saudi Arabia during COVID-19. Previous studies focused on using dietary supplements for preventing or reducing mental health. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1572 participants aged 18–65, from all-over Saudi Arabia who were invited to complete a self-administered questionnaire to measure the consumption of supplements during the pandemic lockdown period. Also, it investigates the factor that effect supplements consumption. RESULTS: Around 63% of the participants did not change their consumption patterns during the pandemic, while 16% consumed more and 21.4% consumed fewer supplements during the pandemic. The most commonly used supplements were iron; calcium, especially among pregnant women; omega-3, especially in people older than 65 years; and vitamin D. Females (81%; P < 0.002); age (94.7%; P < 0.002); married people (84%; P < 0.001); those with a higher educational level (83.9%; P = 0.02); those with a higher monthly income (86.1%; P = 0.006); and pregnant women (100%; P < 0.007) reported the highest rates of consumption. CONCLUSION: Dietary supplements have recently become popular in Saudi Arabia, but large differences remain between Saudis in their consumption of supplements. Additional research should be conducted to examine the level of knowledge of dietary supplements among Saudi population.