Assessing influences of dietary supplement use in south Florida adolescent athletes

Dietary supplement use influences and effects of gender and grade by 184 adolescent athletes in ten Broward County high schools, grades nine through twelve, were examined in this study. A survey (Survey to Predict Adolescent Athletes Dietary Supplement Use) based on the Theory of Reasoned Action was used to predict how the supplement group users/non-users demonstrated a relationship with the theory components. Results yielded supplement group differences with regard to gender and grade. Regarding behavioral intention, supplement group users (current, past, or experimental) had a stronger intention to use supplements in the future than did non-users. Main effects emerged with male athletes having a stronger intention to use supplements than did females. The health risks that accompany supplement products show evidence of the need for health educators to understand more about the issue in order to establish intervention strategies.