Supplement Safety Knowledge, Information Sources, and Self-Reported Safety-Related Behaviors Among Adults Aged 40 Years and Older: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Dietary supplement use is common in middle and later adulthood, but factual safety knowledge may not necessarily translate into safety-related behavior. This pilot study examined supplement use, supplement safety knowledge, information-source pathways, and self-reported safety-related behaviors among adults aged 40 years and older. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted in Poland between December 2025 and April 2026 in a convenience sample of 150 adults aged ≥40 years. Multivariable logistic regression models assessed associations of a five-item factual supplement safety knowledge score and professional or digital information-source use with proactive supplement safety information seeking and other supplementation behaviors. RESULTS: Current supplement use was reported by 113/150 participants (75.3%); among current users with available supplement count data, 86/111 (77.5%) used at least two supplements simultaneously. The knowledge score was not independently associated with proactive supplement safety information seeking (aOR 0.93 per one-point increase, 95% CI 0.69-1.25; p = 0.641). Professional information-source use was associated with the original composite information-seeking outcome (aOR 4.03, 95% CI 1.51-10.77; BH q = 0.033) and with lower odds of self-initiated supplementation (aOR 0.32, 95% CI 0.13-0.79; BH q = 0.042). However, in an additional non-overlap sensitivity analysis restricted to internet/leaflet safety information seeking, professional-source use was not independently associated with the outcome (aOR 0.80, 95% CI 0.33-1.94; p = 0.627). CONCLUSIONS: In this convenience sample, the study-specific factual knowledge score did not show a clear independent association with proactive supplement safety information seeking. Associations involving professional information sources depended partly on outcome definition, while the association with lower self-initiation remained. Given the pilot nature, modest sample size, non-probability recruitment, self-reported measures, and lack of product-level verification, the findings are hypothesis-generating and require confirmation in larger, prospectively characterized samples.