A healthy and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are essential for maintaining good health and the normal functioning of our bodies. They provide us with all the nutrients we need, however, many people are increasingly turning to dietary supplements to meet the recommended nutrient levels. Students are a population of people who are more vulnerable to deficiencies of certain nutrients due to their specific lifestyle (lots of sedentary time, poor eating habits, alcohol consumption, smoking and lack of sleep). This is why students are turning to dietary supplements even though they often lack the knowledge to take them. The aim of the master's thesis was to find out how well students in Slovenia know about dietary supplements, which dietary supplements they take, how often they take them and what their attitudes towards them are. We were interested in the reasons why students in Slovenia take dietary supplements, the differences between students in social and natural sciences, and how the COVID-19 epidemic has affected the use of dietary supplements among students. A quantitative research approach with a descriptive method was used. For the survey, a structured questionnaire was administered electronically. The survey sample consisted of 234 Slovenian students from different fields, levels and years of study. The results of the survey showed that 85% of students have taken dietary supplements so far. The most common supplements taken by students were vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin B, protein, probiotics, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids. We estimate that students were no more likely to take dietary supplements during the COVID-19 epidemic than before the epidemic. Students who took more dietary supplements during the COVID-19 epidemic than before the epidemic were most likely to take vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids. More than half of students are more familiar with dietary supplements, especially women and physically active students. Students have confidence in the safety of dietary supplements and believe that they should consult a doctor or pharmacist before taking dietary supplements. Students showed a lack of knowledge in the decisions they make about dietary supplements. The most common reason students give for taking dietary supplements is to boost their immune system or improve their health. Students in social sciences are more likely to take dietary supplements than students in natural sciences. Physically active students consume more supplements than less physically active students, in particular iron, calcium, zinc, selenium, potassium, iodine, protein and dietary fibre. According to the results of the survey, students should be made aware of the importance of taking dietary supplements and the importance of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle for good health. It is important that students have adequate nutritional knowledge and are aware of when to take dietary supplements. Key words: students, dietary supplements, knowledge, attitude, consumption, COVID-19.
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