HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND OPINION SEEKING IN THE CONSUMPTION OF FOOD SUPPLEMENTS

ABSTRACT Purpose - This research aimed to verify the influence of healthy lifestyle and the search for opinion in relation to the intention to consume food supplements. Design/methodology/approach - A descriptive research was carried out using a quantitative approach. The field research was developed through an online survey and the data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. Findings - It was found that the higher the level of healthy lifestyle, the greater the intention to resort to food supplementation. Furthermore, the search for opinion, in turn, positively influenced the intention to consume food supplements. However, this search for opinion is intrinsically related to the search for information from sources not indicated to direct the consumption of dietary supplements, which represents a risk to health. Originality/value - The main contribution of this research was that the experience of a healthy lifestyle does not represent the absence of consumption of dietary supplements. The results reveal an alarming situation regarding the health risks to which consumers of dietary supplements are exposed. These risks are also related to people with a high level of healthy lifestyle. Thus, this picture represents a public health problem and refers to the urgent need for information and awareness-raising actions for the population in order to control the incidence of diseases associated with the consumption of these products.