Background: Use of dietary supplements is common among people living with HIV/AIDS. Because dietary\r\nsupplements are used in the context of other health behaviors, they may have direct and indirect health benefits.\r\nHowever, supplements may also be associated with vulnerability to medical misinformation and unfounded health\r\nclaims. We examined use of dietary supplements among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) and the association\r\nbetween use of dietary supplements and believing medical misinformation.\r\nMethods: A convenience sample of 268 men and 76 women living with HIV was recruited from AIDS services and\r\nclinics in Atlanta, GA. Participants completed measures of demographic and health characteristics, dietary\r\nsupplement use, beliefs about dietary supplements, internet use, and an internet evaluation task designed to assess\r\nvulnerability to medical misinformation.\r\nResults: One out of four PLWH currently used at least one dietary supplement product excluding vitamins. Dietary\r\nsupplement use was associated with higher education and greater use of the internet for health-related\r\ninformation. Dietary supplement users also endorsed greater believability and trust in unfounded claims for HIV\r\ncures.\r\nConclusions: Dietary supplement use is common among PLWH and is associated with a broad array of health\r\ninformation seeking behaviors. Interventions are needed to reduce the vulnerability of PLWH, particularly dietary\r\nsupplement users, to medical misinformation propagated on the internet.
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