Healthy Skepticism Library item: 11145

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Dodge T, Kaufman A.
What makes consumers think dietary supplements are safe and effective? The role of disclaimers and FDA approval
Health Psychol. 2007 July; 26:(4):513-7
http://content.apa.org/journals/hea/26/4/513

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: The present study was designed to examine the effect of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) regulatory framework on beliefs about the safety and effectiveness of a dietary supplement.

DESIGN: An experimental study was conducted with a sample of college students (N = 262). Participants read a description of a dietary supplement, and the experimental manipulations were embedded in the product description.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary measures of interest included overall knowledge of the FDA’s role in regulating dietary supplements and safety and effectiveness ratings of the dietary supplement.

RESULTS: Results demonstrated that individuals were not very knowledgeable about the FDA’s role in regulating dietary supplements. Making participants explicitly aware that the FDA did not approve a dietary supplement lowered safety ratings of the supplement but had no influence on effectiveness ratings. The opposite results were obtained for a structure-function disclaimer in which the presence of the disclaimer lowered effectiveness ratings of the supplement but did not affect safety ratings.

CONCLUSION: Results highlight the importance of educating individuals about the FDA’s role in regulating dietary supplements. Copyright 2007 APA.

Keywords:
MeSH Terms: Consumer Product Safety/legislation & jurisprudence* Dietary Supplements/adverse effects Dietary Supplements/standards* Drug Approval/legislation & jurisprudence* Drug Approval/methods Drug Labeling/legislation & jurisprudence Drug Labeling/standards* Female Health Education/legislation & jurisprudence* Health Education/statistics & numerical data Humans Male Questionnaires* Sex Distribution Students/psychology United States United States Food and Drug Administration/legislation & jurisprudence United States Food and Drug Administration/standards*