RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Barriers to Supplemental Calcium Use Among Women in Suburban Family Practice: A Report from the Cleveland Clinic Ambulatory Research Network (CleAR-eN)
JF The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
JO J Am Board Fam Med
FD American Board of Family Medicine
SP 293
OP 299
DO 10.3122/jabfm.2008.04.070092
VO 21
IS 4
A1 Carl V. Tyler
A1 James J. Werner
A1 Vanessa Panaite
A1 Sandra M. Snyder
A1 Donald B. Ford
A1 Jessica L. Conway
A1 Christopher W. Young
A1 Brenda L. Powell
A1 Michael J. Smolak
A1 Stephen J. Zyzanski
YR 2008
UL http://www.jabfm.org/content/21/4/293.abstract
AB Background: The majority of adult women in the United States fail to meet daily calcium intake recommendations. This study was undertaken to (1) identify predictors of calcium supplement use versus non-use, (2) understand barriers to calcium supplementation, and (3) determine the potential impact of physician recommendation on calcium supplement use.Methods: Surveys were self-administered by 185 women, ages 20 to 64, presenting consecutively for care at 6 suburban community-based family medicine practices within the Cleveland Clinic Ambulatory Research Network (CleAR-eN). We compared demographic characteristics, health beliefs, and health behaviors of those women who reported never using calcium supplements with those who presently took calcium supplements. Women who never took calcium were also queried about reasons for non-use and whether physician recommendation would influence their adoption of calcium supplementation.Results: Multivitamin use, self-perceived risk of osteoporosis, and age were independent predictors of calcium supplement use. Leading barriers for never-users were lack of knowledge about the need/importance of increasing calcium intake, lack of motivation to start supplements, and the belief that their dietary calcium intake alone was sufficient. Ninety-six percent of never-users reported that they would consider taking a calcium supplement if recommended by their physician.Conclusions: Many patient-identified barriers to calcium supplementation seem amenable to focused and brief office-based interventions that could increase the number of women meeting calcium intake guidelines.