At a glance
- Women
- 63.8%
- Men
- 50.8%
- Women 20-39
- 49%
2018
2018
2018
| Group | Value |
|---|---|
| Women (all ages 20+) (Women) | 63.8% |
| Men (all ages 20+) (Men) | 50.8% |
| Women aged 20-39 (Women 20-39) | 49% |
| Men aged 20-39 (Men 20-39) | 35.9% |
| Women aged 60+ (Women 60+) | 80.2% |
| Men aged 60+ (Men 60+) | 67.3% |
Key takeaways
- Women (63.8%) were more likely than men (50.8%) to use dietary supplements in 2017-2018, a gap of 13 percentage points.
- The sex difference held in every age group: among adults aged 20-39, 49.0% of women versus 35.9% of men used supplements.
- Among adults aged 60 and older, 80.2% of women and 67.3% of men reported supplement use, the highest rates of any group.
- The overall sex difference in supplement use is consistent across NHANES survey cycles spanning more than a decade.
Women have consistently reported higher rates of dietary supplement use than men in NHANES data, and the 2017-2018 cycle confirms this pattern. Overall, 63.8% of adult women used at least one dietary supplement in the prior 30 days, compared with 50.8% of adult men, a difference of 13 percentage points.
The gap between women and men is present at every age group. Among the youngest adults surveyed (ages 20-39), 49.0% of women reported supplement use versus 35.9% of men. The absolute gap narrows somewhat at older ages but remains substantial: among adults aged 60 and older, 80.2% of women and 67.3% of men reported supplement use.
Both men and women showed increased supplement use with age. Among men, use rose from 35.9% at ages 20-39 to 67.3% at ages 60 and older. Among women, the increase ran from 49.0% to 80.2% across the same age span.
These figures are from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and cover any dietary supplement used in the past 30 days, including vitamins, minerals, and botanical products. The data brief reports supplement use by both sex and age group, allowing the cross-tabulated figures cited here.
The reasons behind the sex difference are not established by NHANES itself. Research literature has proposed factors including differences in healthcare engagement, marketing patterns, and health-seeking behavior, but these explanations are not confirmed by the NHANES data directly.
We report these sex-stratified figures to provide context for anyone seeking to understand population-level supplement use patterns. The data come from a nationally representative government survey and represent some of the most reliable estimates available.
Methodology & sources
Figures are from NCHS Data Brief No. 399 (February 2021). NHANES 2017-2018 used a stratified multistage probability cluster sampling design. Supplement use was assessed during in-person household interviews, with participants asked to produce product containers for verification. Sex is self-reported. Cross-tabulations of sex by age group (20-39, 40-59, 60+) are as reported in the brief. All estimates represent the US civilian noninstitutionalized population.
Sources
- Dietary Supplement Use Among Adults: United States, 2017-2018. NCHS Data Brief No. 399., CDC National Center for Health Statistics
- NHANES 2017-2018: Dietary Supplement Use 30-Day Data Documentation, CDC National Center for Health Statistics
Frequently asked questions
Does the sex difference in supplement use hold for specific supplement types?
NCHS Data Brief No. 399 reports overall supplement use by sex and age. The brief notes that multivitamin-mineral products, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids are the most commonly used types, but sex-specific breakdowns for individual supplement types are not reported in the same table. The overall sex difference documented here covers any supplement type.
Are these figures adjusted for any differences between men and women?
The figures cited here are unadjusted prevalence estimates from the NHANES sample, as reported in the data brief. The brief also provides age-adjusted estimates for some comparisons. We cite the unadjusted figures by sex and age group, which match the published tables directly.
Cite this page
Found this useful? Copy the citation below.
Supplements Unpacked. "Dietary Supplement Use by Sex in the US (2017-2018)." https://supplementsunpacked.com/statistics/supplement-use-by-sex (accessed 2026).