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Knowledge Level and Professional Characteristics of Herbal Medicine Sellers Regarding the Supply and Use of Medicinal Plants
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Zahra Abbasi Shaye    , Shapour Badiee Avval , Seyed Javad Mojtabavi , Mahmoud Velayati , Elmira Davarinejad , Mohammad Amin Bashtani , Rasoul Raesi * 1 |
| 1- , raeesigr2@mums.ac.ir |
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Abstract: (74 Views) |
Background and purpose: In Islamic culture and Iranian traditional medicine, medicinal plants hold a special place. The awareness and professional characteristics of herbal medicine sellers play a major role in either promoting or threatening public health. This study aimed to determine the awareness level and professional characteristics of herbal medicine sellers regarding the supply and use of medicinal plants.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenience sampling method on 130 herbal medicine sellers in Mashhad city. Data were collected using a standardized questionnaire to assess the awareness of herbal medicine sellers. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS-22 software and the Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and Spearman statistical tests at a significance level of less than 0.05.
Results: A total of 130 herbal medicine sellers were studied. Among them, 113 (85.6%) of the sellers reported gastrointestinal complaints, and 111 (84%) identified the common cold as the most frequent complaints of customers. The mean knowledge score of herbal medicine sellers was 26.84±4.98, indicating a moderate level of awareness. Additionally, 37.9% of the sellers obtained their knowledge from the internet and training courses, while 66.6% relied on non-scientific sources for information.
Conclusion: Organizing training and refresher courses to enhance the knowledge level of herbal medicine sellers, obtaining educational certificates, and stricter monitoring of their performance should be more seriously considered by health and medical policymakers.
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| Keywords: Herbal medicine seller, knowledge, Education, Medicinal plants, Traditional medicine |
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Full-Text [PDF 1085 kb]
(35 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Original |
Subject:
General
Received: 2024/03/31 | Accepted: 2024/07/31 | Published: 2024/09/10
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