Nurses’ use of “wellness” supplements during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

Details

• Alternative Title:
  J Adv Nurs
• Personal Author:
  TURNER, Samantha L. ; BECCIA, Ariel ; FEENY, Gwenneth ; RAFFOUL, Amanda ; JACKSON, Destiny ; SARDA, Vishnudas ; RICH-EDWARDS, Janet ; CHAVARRO, Jorge ; HART, Jaime E. ; AUSTIN, S. Bryn
• Description:
  Aim:
  
  Quantify disparities and identify correlates and predictors of “wellness” supplement use among nurses during the first year of the pandemic.
  
  Design:
  
  Longitudinal secondary analysis of Nurses’ Health Studies 2 and 3 and Growing Up Today Study data.
  
  Methods:
  
  Sample included 36,518 total participants, 12,044 of which were nurses, who completed surveys during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (April 2020 to April 2021). Analyses were conducted in March 2023. Modified Poisson models were used to estimate disparities in “wellness” supplement use between nurses and non-healthcare workers and, among nurses only, to quantify associations with workplace-related predictors (occupational discrimination, PPE access, workplace setting) and psychosocial predictors (depression/anxiety, county-level COVID-19 mortality). Models included race/ethnicity, gender identity, age, and cohort as covariates.
  
  Results:
  
  Nurses were significantly more likely to use all types of supplements than non-healthcare workers. Lacking personal protective equipment and experiencing occupational discrimination were significantly associated with new immune supplement use. Depression increased the risk of using weight loss, energy, and immune supplements.
  
  Conclusion:
  
  Nurses’ disproportionate use of “wellness” supplements during the COVID-19 pandemic may be related to workplace and psychosocial stressors. Given well-documented risks of harm from the use of “wellness” supplements, the use of these products by nurses is of concern.
  
  Impact:
  
  “Wellness” supplements promoting weight loss, increased energy, boosted immunity, and cleansing of organs are omnipresent in today’s health-focused culture, though their use has been associated with harm. This is of added concern among nurses given their risk of COVID-19 infection at work. Our study highlighted the risk factors associated with use of these products (lacking PPE and experiencing occupational discrimination). Findings support prior research suggesting a need for greater public health policy and education around the use of “wellness” supplements.
  
  Reporting Method:
  
  STROBE guidelines were followed throughout manuscript.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Adult COVID-19 Dietary Supplements Female Humans Longitudinal Studies Male Middle Aged Nurses Pandemics SARS-CoV-2 United States Workplace

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• Source:
  J Adv Nurs. 80(11):4572-4583
• Pubmed ID:
  38515173
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC11415537
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  NIH U01 HL145386/HL/NHLBI NIH HHSUnited States/ ; R01 HD057368/HD/NICHD NIH HHSUnited States/ ; U01 HL145386/HL/NHLBI NIH HHSUnited States/ ; R01 CA067262/CA/NCI NIH HHSUnited States/ ; R24 ES028521/ES/NIEHS NIH HHSUnited States/ ; U01HL145386/NH/NIH HHSUnited States/ ; R24ES028521/NH/NIH HHSUnited States/ ; R01HD057368/NH/NIH HHSUnited States/ ; R01CA67262/NH/NIH HHSUnited States/ ; P30 ES000002/ES/NIEHS NIH HHSUnited States/ ; 75D30120P08255/OH/NIOSH CDC HHSUnited States/ ; U01 CA176726/CA/NCI NIH HHSUnited States/ ; U01CA176726/NH/NIH HHSUnited States/ ; MFE-171217/CAPMC/ CIHRCanada/ ; 75D30120P08255/OH/NIOSH CDC HHSUnited States/ ; P30 ES000002/ES/NIEHS NIH HHSUnited States/ ; NIH U01 HL145386/HL/NHLBI NIH HHSUnited States/ ; T76MC00001/Maternal and Child Health Bureau/ ; MFE-171217/CAPMC/ CIHRCanada/ ; R01CA67262/NH/NIH HHSUnited States/ ; R01HD057368/NH/NIH HHSUnited States/ ; R24ES028521/NH/NIH HHSUnited States/ ; U01CA176726/NH/NIH HHSUnited States/ ; U01HL145386/NH/NIH HHSUnited States/
• Volume:
  80
• Issue:
  11
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:db46f591e0d098a0f25b0458198b9fe24c1c0540d91e6c58c1b5e19a6d159bef153a16b9436cc5f4cde91d857ff69ec3414b857aa0d7c08cc52cec92cb982859
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/162434/cdc_162434_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 299.62 KB ]