Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Students of Gonabad University of Medical Sciences toward Famous Methods of Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Since students of the of medical universities would have role in health centres and hospitals in the future, they must be aware about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies, related side effects, risks and possible complications. Due to the growing use of CAM in Iran, this study aims to evaluate the level of awareness, attitude, and performance of students of Gonabad University of Medical Sciences. Thisacross-sectional study was performed on 249 medical students(155 girls and 94 boys)of Gonabad University of Medical Sciences in 2014 with mean(SD) age of 20.90 ± 2.18 years. A standard questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were entered into SPSSv. 20 software. The p value less than 0.05 was considered significant.The level of awareness was low with an overall score of 22.56 ± 6.54, and only 22.1% had a positive attitude. About as 46.2% of students used traditional medicine, especially herbal medicine, to treat a cold, and3.2% had the experience of traditional medicine courses.About24.9% of them were in favour of having a course on traditional medicine and 26.9% were interested in traditional medicine. About57.42% of students advised traditional medicine, especially for treatment of muscle pain, and more than 80% believed thattraditional medicine courses are useful. More than 60% preferred methods of traditional medicine to modern medicine, while, 22.1% believed that traditional medicine has side effects. Also, 34.5% believed that traditional medicine is alow-cost option. Based on the poor knowledge and attitudes of medical students toward complementary medicine, it is necessary to enhance students’ awareness through CAM courses in the university.