THE EFFECT OF NUTRITION EDUCATION ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS AND HERBAL FOODS IN COVID-19 ON THE KNOWLEDGE AND BELIEFS OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND NON-HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

Year 2025, Volume: 9 Issue: 2, 186 - 210, 21.08.2025

Şeyma Kalkuz , Zeynep Göktaş

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the knowledge and beliefs of health professionals and non-health professionals about the use of dietary supplements and herbal foods in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and to evaluate the effectiveness of a nutrition education intervention. A total of 106 health professionals and 110 non-health professionals (without health-related occupations) completed the study. The education intervention was conducted in two sessions for each group through an online video communication application. Total knowledge scores of health professionals (from 5.5 ± 2.29 to 7.9 ± 2.08) and non-health professionals (from 8.3 ± 1.46 to 9.4 ± 0.88) significantly improved after the intervention (p<0.001). While most health professionals and non-health professionals believed that dietary supplements and herbal foods were effective in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, this belief decreased significantly after the intervention (p<0.05). Raising public awareness to prevent unnecessary use of dietary supplements and herbal foods is of great importance for public health.

Keywords

COVID-19 , nutrition , education , dietary supplements

BESİN DESTEK ÜRÜNLERİ VE BİTKİSEL BESİNLERİN COVID-19'DA ETKİNLİĞİNE İLİŞKİN VERİLEN BESLENME EĞİTİMİNİN SAĞLIK ÇALIŞANI VE SAĞLIK ÇALIŞANI OLMAYAN BİREYLERDE BİLGİ VE İNANIŞLAR ÜZERİNE ETKİSİ

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı sağlık çalışanı olan ve olmayan bireylerin COVID-19'un önlenmesi ve tedavisinde besin destek ürünleri ve bitkisel besinlerin kullanımına ilişkin bilgi ve inanışlarını belirlemek ve beslenme eğitiminin etkinliğini değerlendirmektir. Çalışmayı toplam 106 sağlık çalışanı ve 110 sağlık çalışanı olmayan birey (sağlık alanı dışından mesleği olanlar) tamamlamıştır. Eğitim müdahalesi, çevrimiçi görüntülü iletişim uygulaması aracılığıyla her grup için iki oturumda gerçekleştirilmiştir. Sağlık çalışanlarının (5.5 ± 2.29'dan 7.9 ± 2.08'e) ve sağlık çalışanı olmayanların (8.3 ± 1.46'dan 9.4 ± 0.88'e) toplam bilgi puanları girişimden sonra anlamlı düzeyde artmıştır (p<0.001). Çoğu sağlık çalışanı ve sağlık çalışanı olmayan birey, besin destek ürünleri ve bitkisel besinlerin COVID-19'un önlenmesinde ve tedavisinde etkili olduğuna inanırken, eğitim sonrasında bu inanışlar önemli ölçüde azalmıştır (p<0.05). Besin destek ürünleri ve bitkisel besinlerin gereksiz kullanımının önlenmesi için toplumun bilinçlendirilmesi toplum sağlığı açısından büyük önem taşımaktadır.

Keywords

COVID-19 , beslenme , eğitim , besin destek ürünleri

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