بررسی میزان آگاهی و عملکرد دانشجویان علوم‎ پزشکی مازندران نسبت به غذاها و گیاهان عنوان‎شده در قرآن

Background and Purpose: Quran is the main Islamic manuscript in which fundamental human issues such as nutrition are taken into account. Since awareness is a prerequisite for knowledge and knowledge is the backbone of performance and behavior in humans, this study aimed to determine the level of students' knowledge and performance regarding the use of foodstuffs and herbs recommended by Quran at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in 2013. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 308 students, selected via available sampling at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in 2013. Data were collected, using a valid and reliable questionnaire. For data analysis, t-test was applied. Results: In total, 57.8%, 30.7%, and 11.6% of the participants were students of general PhD, undergraduate level and other educational levels, respectively. Regarding foodstuffs recommended by Quran, the most and least accurate answers were related to olive and salt, respectively. The mean score of awareness was 2.27&plusmn;0.68, which was significantly different from the t-value (3.5) (P<0.001). Also, the mean score of performance regarding the use of these foodstuffs was 2.58&plusmn;0.48, which was significantly different from the T-value (P<0.001). Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, the subjects' level of knowledge and performance was significantly lower than the accepted thresholds. Therefore, it is recommended to revise the educational curricula to motivate the students towards using foodstuffs recommended by Quran.