Use of vitamins and/or minerals among adults and the elderly in urban areas of Brazil: prevalence and associated factors

The purpose of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of vitamin and/or mineral use among urban Brazilian populations aged 20 years and over and to identify associ- ated factors. Data from the National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of the Rational Use of Medicines in Brazil (PNAUM) were analyzed and a population-based cross-sectional study with probability sampling was performed in ur- ban areas of Brazil's five geographic regions from September 2013 to February 2014. The estimat- ed prevalence of vitamin and/or mineral use was 4.8% (95% CI: 4.3-5.3), higher in women 6.4% (95% CI: 5.7-7.1) and in the elderly population 11.6% (95% CI: 10.5-12.8). Vitamin and/or min- eral use was associated with the following factors: women, 60 years of age or older, economic class A/B, chronic disease(s) and self-perceived health held as average and very poor/poor. Multivita- mins and multiminerals were the most used ones with 24.5% (95% CI 20.1-29.4), followed by cal- cium and vitamin D with 23.4% (95% CI 19.7- 27.5). Data suggest that elderly women should be the reference public for actions aimed at promot- ing rational use. Nationwide epidemiological sur- veys should increase monitoring of these products to support the analysis of trends.