Gut Health Perception and Dietary Supplement Adoption among IndianAdults: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction/Objective: Gut wellness is becoming the postulate of overall wellbeing that promotes digestion, immunity, and mental health. Although awareness among the population has increased, it is not matched with evidence-based practice, especially in Indian communities. The research aimed to assess the level of knowledge, perceptions, and behaviours on gut health with special attention to the integration of dietary supplements in two metropolitan cities in India, Mumbai and Chandigarh. Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey comprising a 20-item Likert-scale instrument was conducted; 110 participants participated. The questionnaire encompassed the gut health awareness, perceptions of diet therapy, and willingness to adopt supplements. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, student t-tests, and Pearson correlation were employed using MINITAB 17. Results: The study revealed a moderate level of awareness of gut health concepts, with a high level of agreement in the roles of digestion, but limited knowledge of prebiotics and the diversity of the microbiome. A significant correlation was found between perceptions of gut health roles and functions of diet in gut health, with perceptions and willingness of supplement adoption (p = 0.000). We found no significant associations between knowledge level and demographic factors, with the exception of gender. Discussion: Results indicate that there is a gap in understanding and behaviour of gut health. Although awareness exists, there exist a lot of misconceptions, especially about the role of probiotics and dietary interventions. Conclusion: Targeted educational programs and culturally relevant public health interventions are essential to bridge this gap and promote evidence-based use of supplements in urban India.