DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS AND FUNCTIONAL FOOD IN CHILDREN DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

AIM: Data on the likely interest in dietary support use in children during the COVID-19 pandemic are scarce and not well documented, compared to adults. In this survey study, we aimed to reveal predictors of pandemic-induced changes in nutritional behavior in children and adolescents. 
MATERIAL AND METHODS: Parents or caregivers of a total of 1327 children aged 6 to 18 years were requested to fill a survey questioning the use of common dietary supplements and/or conventional functional food by children before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Children were divided into 4 groups according to whether they received dietary supplements before/during the pandemic: those never received dietary supplements (Group 1), those already receiving/continued to receive (Group 2), those started to receive during pandemic (Group 3), those stopped to receive during pandemic (Group 4). 
RESULTS: A total of 1327 respondents completed the questionnaire. There were 322 (24.3%) children in Group 1, 313 (23.6%) children in Group 2, 679 (51.2%) children in Group 3 and 13 (1.0%) children in Group 4. Number of siblings (p