Dietary Supplement Use in Transmasculine People: Results of an Online Survey of Volunteer Adults

Abstract

Introduction

Health inequities and disparities in nutrition research exist among transmasculine people. A dearth of evidence on dietary supplement use and motivations exist, partially due to constrained collection of sex and gender identity in national surveys.

Objective

We sought to investigate common motivations and use of dietary supplements in a voluntary survey of transmasculine people.

Methods

A total of 48 participants completed an online survey detailing dietary supplement use, motivations, and demographic information.

Results

64.5 and 90.0% of participants reported use of 1+ dietary supplement within the past 30-days and during some point in their lifetime, respectively. Top reported product types used included multivitamins (52%), melatonin (52%), vitamin D (46%), vitamin C (35%), fish oil (33%), B-vitamins or B-complex (31%), iron (29%), green tea (29%), biotin (25%), cranberry (23%), zinc (23%), protein powder (23%), probiotics (23%), and calcium (21%). There was no relationship between the number of supplements reported and participant age, BMI, income, or mastectomy status (p > 0.05). Participants reported top motivations being for “improving my overall health” (60.4%), “maintaining health” (54.2%), to “supplement my diet due to not getting enough from food”(41.7%), “mental health” (39.6%), and to “prevent colds, boost immune system” (33.3%).

Conclusion

Transmasculine people in our study reported a high use of dietary supplements. Differences in the types of products and number of products used, as well as specific motivations for use likely exist within this subpopulation, however, future nationally-representative longitudinal studies are needed to fully elucidate these patterns and for informing evidence-based nutrition guidance.

Keywords:

• Dietary supplements
• gender dysphoria
• sexual and gender minorities
• transgender persons
• transsexualism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

None

Notes on contributors

Eli Ozana Kalman-Rome

Eli Ozana Kalman-Rome, MS graduated with a MS degree in nutrition and food studies from George Mason University.

Kerri LaCharite

Kerri LaCharite, PhD is an associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at George Mason University. She writes and teaches about sustainable food systems, food and culture, urban agriculture, and the effects of agriculture-based learning on eating behaviors. Dr. LaCharite obtained her PhD degree in Sustainability Education from Prescott College.

Lilian de Jonge

Lilian de Jonge, PhD is a professor at the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at George Mason University. She obtained her PhD degree in nutrition from the Université de Montréal. Dr. de Jonge was formerly a faculty member and director of the Metabolic Chambers Laboratory at Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

Taylor C. Wallace

Taylor C. Wallace, PhD, CFS, FACN, FAND is CEO of the Think Healthy Group, LLC, an adjunct clinical associate professor in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at George Washington University, and an adjunct associate professor in the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. He obtained his PhD in food science and nutrition from The Ohio State University. Dr. Wallace was formerly an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at George Mason University. He is the current Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Dietary Supplements and had no role in the review or decision to publish the article.