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Influence of pharmacological education on perceptions, attitudes and use of dietary supplements by medical students

Overview of attention for article published in BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, December 2017
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Title
Influence of pharmacological education on perceptions, attitudes and use of dietary supplements by medical students
Published in
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, December 2017
DOI 10.1186/s12906-017-2031-6
Pubmed ID
Authors

Z. Stanojević-Ristić, S. Stević, J. Rašić, D. Valjarević, M. Dejanović, A. Valjarević

Abstract

The 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. Medical 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. About 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. Our 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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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 91 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 91 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Bachelor 17 19%
Student > Ph. D. Student 7 8%
Researcher 7 8%
Student > Master 7 8%
Professor > Associate Professor 5 5%
Other 16 18%
Unknown 32 35%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Medicine and Dentistry 17 19%
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science 11 12%
Nursing and Health Professions 10 11%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 3 3%
Economics, Econometrics and Finance 3 3%
Other 14 15%
Unknown 33 36%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 1. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 13 December 2017.
All research outputs
#20,454,971
of 23,011,300 outputs
Outputs from BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
#2,988
of 3,642 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#375,220
of 439,919 outputs
Outputs of similar age from BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
#70
of 95 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 23,011,300 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 1st percentile – i.e., 1% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 3,642 research outputs from this source. They typically receive more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 8.7. This one is in the 1st percentile – i.e., 1% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 439,919 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one is in the 1st percentile – i.e., 1% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
We're also able to compare this research output to 95 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 1st percentile – i.e., 1% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.