ArticleBMC complementary and alternative medicine2017
Influence of pharmacological education on perceptions, attitudes and use of dietary supplements by medical students.
Article in BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Pooled it
- From classroom to the counter: exploring knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward Down syndrome among pharmacy students and pharmacists.BMC medical education · 2026Article
- Pharmacovigilance and herbal medicines safety: a cross-sectional study of healthcare professionals' knowledge, attitudes and practices in selected regions of Tanzania, 2021.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2025Observational
- Knowledge and Practices Regarding Dietary Supplements Among Healthcare Professionals in Poland.Nutrients · 2024Article
- Assessment of dietary nitrate supplementation: prevalence of use, knowledge, attitudes and beliefs among active Australians.Frontiers in nutrition · 2023Article
- Dietary Supplements Use among Serbian Undergraduate Students of Different Academic Fields.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Are Medical Students Prepared to Model Healthy Behaviors for Their Future Patients? A Survey Comparing Aged-Matched Peers.Medical science educator · 2020Article
- The Prevalence and Awareness Concerning Dietary Supplement Use among Saudi Adolescents.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Article
- An educational intervention improved knowledge of dietary supplements in college students.BMC public health · 2020Article
- Investigation and Comparison of Nutritional Supplement Use, Knowledge, and Attitudes in Medical and Non-Medical Students in China.Nutrients · 2018Article
- Prevalence, Knowledge and Attitudes Concerning Dietary Supplements among a Student Population in Croatia.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2018Article
- Knowledge and Patterns of Dietary Supplement Use among Students Attending King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financingArticle
- Suboptimal Health, Dietary Supplementation, and Public Health Approaches to Regulatory Challenges in Dubai.Journal of primary care & community healthArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe ready availability and use of dietary supplements (DS) by the public means that healthcare professionals require education in this area. In the Republic of Serbia, education related to use of DS is included in undergraduate medical training and it is therefore important to assess the effectiveness of this education. The aim of our survey was to investigate the influence of pharmacological education on the use, attitudes and perceptions of risks associated with DS among medical students.
methodsMedical students at the University of Kosovska Mitrovica participated in the survey. Three hundred eighty questionnaires were distributed, yielding a response rate of 89% (n = 334). Data were categorized by year of study, completion of a one-year course in pharmacology and having passed the final exam. The results were compared between 192 (58%) medical students educated in pharmacology (MSEP) and 142 (42%) medical students not educated in pharmacology (MSNEP). The questionnaire was divided into 4 parts: socio-demographic and lifestyle/behavioral characteristics, use of DS, attitudes about efficacy, safety and perception of risk due to DS use. Chi-square test, Student's t-test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used for statistical analysis.
resultsAbout 53% of respondents used some form of DS. Attitudes regarding the safety of DS consumption showed a difference between the groups. MSEP were more likely to agree that DS have the potential to cause adverse reactions (Likert scale mean 4.1 vs. 3.5, p < 0.001) as well as interactions with conventional drugs (Likert scale mean 4.2 vs. 3.2, p < 0.001) than MSNEP. Finally, MSEP ranked St. John's wort and ginkgo as the most dangerous DS, but creatine and vitamin C were both ranked as relatively safe. Conversely, MSNEP considered ginkgo and vitamin C the most harmful DS, claiming that omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D had the least hazardous side effects.
conclusionOur results showed that pharmacological education gives young medical students a better understanding of the risks of DS-drug interactions and potential adverse effects. However, their overall attitudes and perception of risk indicate the need for further education.
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