ارزیابی آگاهی، عملکرد و نگرش دانشجویان دانشگاه علوم پزشکی مازندران نسبت به گیاهان دارویی

Background & Objectives: Considering the climatic conditions of Iran and the increasing use of medicinal plants in Iran and all around the world, focusing on the knowledge, practices and attitudes of medical students is important. This study was conducted to determine knowledge, attitudes and practices of the medical students of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences concerning medicinal plants. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted on 406 students of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in 2013. The participants were selected through convenience sampling method. The data were collected by a valid and reliable questionnaire, and analyzed performing descriptive statistics and t-test by SPSS, version 16. Results: Based on the data, sample&rsquo;s mean and standard deviation associated with knowledge, practice and attitude were 44.56&plusmn;12.75, 49.03&plusmn;9.17 and 40.91&plusmn;10.26, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between this result and the 50% average (P-values: <0/001, 0/034, <0/001, respectively). Conclusion: Based on the results of this study and the increasing use of medicinal plants, comprehensive investigations and subsequent proper planning for improving knowledge, attitudes and practices of medical students concerning medicinal plants seems to be necessa