Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40783419›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Dietary supplement consumption is associated with lower dietary quality in Chinese university students based on a cross-sectional study.

Xueqin Yan, Mei Zhao, Sen Chen, Jing Zhang, Weiwei Liu, Tingting Wu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Xueqin Yan *Chongqing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing, 402760, China.
Mei Zhao *College of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
Sen ChenCollege of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
Jing ZhangCollege of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
Weiwei LiuChongqing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing, 402760, China. lww102551@cqmu.edu.cn.
Tingting WuChongqing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing, 402760, China. wutingting@cqctcm.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Faced with the challenges of academic pressure and independent living, university students often experience poor dietary quality and tend to consume dietary supplements as a strategy to compensate for nutritional deficiencies. This study aimed to explore the association between dietary quality and dietary supplement consumption among Chinese university students and to provide insights for strategies that support healthier dietary behaviors. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 459 Chinese university students aged 18 to 26 years. Dietary quality was assessed using five indicators derived from the Dietary Quality Questionnaire (DQQ): (1) the Food Group Diversity Score (FGDS), (2) the "All Five Recommended Food Groups" (ALL-5) score, (3) the Non-Communicable Disease (NCD)-Protect score, (4) the NCD-Risk score, and (5) the Global Dietary Recommendation (GDR) score. Multivariate regression models were employed to explore associations between these dietary quality indicators and dietary supplement consumption. Sociodemographic differences were analyzed using chi-square tests, independent t-tests, and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Subgroup analyses were additionally performed by sex and age group (18-22 vs. 23-26 years). The median scores observed were: FGDS 8 (interquartile range [IQR]: 7-9), All-5 5 (IQR: 4-5), NCD-Protect 6 (IQR: 4-7), NCD-Risk 3 (IQR: 2-5), and GDR 11 (IQR: 10-13). Lower scores on FGDS, ALL-5, and GDR were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of dietary supplement consumption, with odds ratios (ORs) of 5.67 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.29-14.07), 2.13 (95% CI: 1.37-3.33), and 3.96 (95% CI: 2.43-6.45), respectively. In conclusion, poorer dietary quality was associated with a higher prevalence of dietary supplement consumption among Chinese university students, but causality cannot be inferred given the study's cross-sectional design. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted nutritional services and culturally appropriate dietary education.

Indexed as

DietDietary SupplementsStudentsAdolescentAdultChinaCross-Sectional StudiesFeeding BehaviorFemaleHumansMaleSurveys and QuestionnairesUniversitiesYoung AdultDietary assessmentDietary qualityDietary quality questionnaire (DQQ)Dietary supplementUniversity students

Identifiers

PMID40783419
PMCPMC12335495

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.