Author/Authors :
Ögenler, Oya Mersin University - Faculty of Medicine - Tıp Tarihi ve Etik Anabilim Dalı, TURKEY , Yapıcı, Gülçin Mersin Üniversitesi - Tıp Fakültesi - Halk Sağlığı Anabilim Dalı, Turkey
Abstract :
Aim. Medicine, superstitious and religious beliefs are transmitted through generations in a certain society by either verbally or by written texts. In some cases the borders amidst medicine, superstitious and religious beliefs are quite apart from one another while the borders get blurred occasionally. The knowledge that turns one of these faiths into behavior changes in the course of time, its starting point can be forgotten but it still continues to exist. A number of beliefs are accepted as right although they are not right because they work in saving people from ambiguity and in providing self-comfort. Human attitudes and behaviors related to health may become affected by one’s superstitious beliefs. In that sense, present study aims to explore superstitious beliefs and diseases related attitudes and behaviors of university students who have selected medical careers. Methods. To gather data in this study, a survey form consisting of 31 questions querying participants’ age, gender, the city they lived in prior to university education, personal beliefs that are defined as superstitions, daily works and practices that are related to sickness has been used. Results. In this study, out of 276 students enrolled in health services vocational school and medical school students in their first year, we accessed.184 (66.6%) of them Compared to superstitious beliefs by sex; those who know their horoscope property (n=79, %69.9) (p 0.0001), who knock on wood (n=56, %76.3) (p 0.0001), carry an amulet (n=47, %79.7) (p 0,0001) and and tell that these behaviors bring good luck and protect themselves (n=62, %56,4) (p=0,035) were mostly girls. When the use of traditional practices against different diseases was investigated, we observed that use of traditional practices for abdominal pain (n=82, %63.6) (p 0.0001) was more prevalent in females, but traditional practices to the falls or injuries (n=14, %77.8) (p=0.001) and burns (n=29, %61.7) (p=0.005) were more prevalent in males. Conclusion. At the end of present study it has been concluded that students possess personally and socially shared superstitious beliefs yet they performed no superstitious behaviors in the face of sickness-related questions directed in the survey form.
