Consumption and approaches of herbal teas, food supplements and herbal products by health professionals in the province of Eskişehir during the COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic announced by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020, healthcare professionals struggled to protect their own health while treating patients and turned to alternative methods to strengthen their immune systems. In this context, it has become necessary to scientifically evaluate the increasing interest in herbal teas, herbs and food supplements. 539 healthcare personnel participated in the study and the data obtained through questionnaires were analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics 24 program. As a result of the research, it was observed that there was a significant increase in complementary medicine practices compared to the pre-pandemic period, and this was in line with the literature, indicating an increase in the tendency towards nature in society. On the other hand, it has been revealed that healthcare personnel have some deficiencies in terms of knowledge and attitudes in the use of immune-supportive products. Therefore, it is recommended to increase scientific knowledge on evidence-based nutrition and herbal product use, to encourage correct product selection and to raise the level of awareness. Providing stress management and immune supportive nutrition trainings for healthcare personnel and evaluating attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine approaches will contribute to developing more informed decision-making processes in possible health crises.