Introduction: The use of food supplements is increasing in popularity due to modern lifestyles and people's growing awareness of the importance of taking care of their health. Food supplements are foods that contain substances such as vitamins, minerals, plant extracts, amino acids, etc., in concentrated form. Some studies have confirmed the benefits of consuming these products; others have shown that, under certain conditions, consuming these products may be associated with adverse effects. Slovenia has a system designed to monitor adverse reactions that occur when food supplements are taken. Purpose: The purpose of the master's thesis was to explore the prevalence of food supplement use among students of different faculties of the University of Ljubljana and to determine how different factors impacted the use of food supplements. Methodology: The literature review was done using bibliographic databases and COBISS. The questionnaire was created using the free-access online survey tool 1KA. A pilot version of the questionnaire was administered to a small number of students. The data were collected using an anonymous online questionnaire that students received by email, on a forum, or virtual classroom. The data were statistically analyzed using SPSS 25.0. Descriptive statistics, a binominal test, and Pearson's chi-square were used. Results: 477 respondents filled in the questionnaire. 82,2 % of the respondents were female and belonged to the 18-21 age group. The average age of the respondents was 22,7 years. 78,8 % of the respondents were studying at the undergraduate level. The average BMI of the students was 22,94. 69 % of the respondents considered their health to be good. 51,8 % of the students were physically active 1-3 times a week to the extent that they ran out of breath or sweated too much. 83,9 % of the respondents did not smoke. 64,8 % consumed alcohol on occasion. 49,9 % described their financial situation as average. 64,2 % of the respondents took food supplements. 90,1 % of those who did not take food supplements thought it was unnecessary. 34,8 % of the students had been using food supplements for 1-2 years. 41 % use food supplements every day. 75,7 % used food supplements to boost their immunity or immune system. 74,7 % got their information about food supplements on the internet. 85,2 % consumed vitamin and mineral supplements. 81,6 % took food supplements in the amounts recommended by the manufacturer. 60,7 % bought food supplements from a pharmacy or the pharmacy website. 69,8 % spent less than 20 € on food supplements on average per month. For 58,2 % of the respondents, the COVID-19 pandemic had no impact on the number of food supplements consumed. For 60,8 %, the frequency of consumption of food supplements was not affected. During the pandemic, 84,3 % of the students used vitamin and mineral supplements. 80,7 % of the students considered food supplements to be safe when taken in the amounts stated in the manufacturer's instructions. 6,5 % of the respondents experienced adverse effects when taking food supplements. Nausea was the most frequently experienced adverse effect (40 %). 64,4 % of students would have contacted their doctor in case of adverse effects. 9,2 % of students were aware of the existence of a nutrivigilance system in Slovenia. Discussion and conclusion The use of food supplements is common among students at various faculties of the University of Ljubljana. We observed the impact of various factors on the use of food supplements. We believe that further research is necessary and that students need to be made more aware of this topic.
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