Table 2.
The frequencies and percentages of the correct responses to knowledge questions by pharmacists (n = 388)
| Statement (correct answer) | Correct | Incorrect | I don’t know (missing data) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total balanced diet is more achievable by eating healthily than by multivitamin supplements (true) | 302 (77.8) | 86 (22.2) | 0 (0) |
| The dose consistency of vitamins is significantly decreased by the abuse of plant pesticides (true) | 281 (72.4) | 104(26.8) | 3 (0.8) |
| Vitamins supplements may contain unlabelled toxic ingredients (true) | 313 (80.7) | 73 (18.8) | 2 (0.5) |
| Chronic consumption of certain vitamins has been proven to shorten lifespan (true) | 81 (20.9) | 303 (78.1) | 4 (1) |
| A growing body of research evidence supports the causality of different types of cancer by multivitamins, which are often employed as antioxidants in routine practice (true) | 131 (33.8) | 252 (64.9) | 5 (1.3) |
| Natural vitamins are processed differently in the body from those obtained from synthetic resources (true) | 309 (79.6) | 78 (20.1) | 1 (0.3) |
| A proportion of up to 90% of a vitamin supplement may be lost in faeces (true) | 132 (34) | 256 (66) | 0 (0) |
| Some lifestyle issues may reduce the absorption of vitamins or may even cause the complete depletion of vitamins (true) | 376 (96.9) | 11 (2.8) | 1 (0.3) |
| Chronic consumption of some drugs may cause a significant depletion of vitamins (true) | 298 (76.8) | 87 (22.4) | 3 (0.8) |
| Serious drug interactions and side effects can be potentiated due to concomitant consumption of vitamin supplements and drug therapy (true) | 289 (74.5) | 94 (24.2) | 5 (1.3) |
| Knowledge of exact RDA for each vitamin (according to the respondent self-assessments) | 179 (46.1) | 209 (53.9) | 0 (0) |
| Knowledge of specific signs and symptoms of each vitamin deficiency (according to the respondent self-assessment) | 260 (67) | 121 (31.2) | 7 (1.8) |
| Mean score (SD) [95%CI] | 63.4 (23.7) [48.4–78.4] | ||