AUTHOR=Abutaima Rana , Barakat Muna , Thiab Samar , Sawan Hana M. , Amer Malak , Alzayer Reem , Abdelaziz Doaa H. , Mansour Noha O. , Saleh Fatima , Dayyih Wael Abu 

TITLE=A multinational cross-sectional study on knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards magnesium supplements

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1550695

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2025.1550695

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=BackgroundMagnesium is a vital mineral with a crucial role in different biochemical reactions. There is a contradicting evidences about its role in maintaining bone, muscle and cardiovascular health. Recently, magnesium supplements gained attention due to claimed effectiveness in improving sleep quality and relieving muscle spasm.AimThis study aimed to assess Arab communities’ knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding magnesium supplementation.MethodsA cross-sectional self-administered survey was disseminated to collect responses from different Arab countries. Descriptive statistics were calculated for demographics. Data normality was assessed using Shapiro-Wilk test. Associations between sociodemographic variables and knowledge, attitudes and practices were explored using simple and multiple linear regression. Significance level was considered at p < 0.05.ResultsA total of 1,445 responses were collected. Mean (±SD) knowledge scores were low 8.61 ± 5.9. Eighty seven percent recognized magnesium role in alleviating muscle spasm and sleep disorders (83%). Magnesium citrate was the mostly used magnesium salt (37.43%). Neutral attitudes were observed with a mean score of 3.02 ± 0.66. Only 31.8% reported using magnesium supplements, 36.1% of them received a medical consultation. Having poly cystic ovary (p = 0.033), relying on scientific articles (0.004), receiving pharmacist consultation (p = 0.019) significantly associated with higher knowledge.ConclusionDespite the huge debate regarding magnesium benefits in maintaining muscle, bone health and improving sleep quality, this study found that there is a significant gap in knowledge and neutral attitude towards magnesium supplementation in Arab communities. These findings emphasizes the need for educational campaigns targeting the public on the rationale use of supplements.