Medicinal & Aromatic Plants
Open Access
ISSN: 2167-0412
ISSN: 2167-0412
Mei Kuen Li, Fok A S Y and Wang E Y Y
The Open University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Med Aromat Plants
Background & Aim: Chinese people constitute the major population in Hong Kong. They believed that Chinese Dietary Therapy (CDT) helps them to bring about a balanced state which is regarded as healthy from the perspective of Chinese medicine. Such therapeutic effects can only be maximized with food taken appropriately according to factors such as types of body constitution, age, climates and so on. Otherwise, the body�??s balanced state may be changed to an imbalanced state. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge on CDT among the Chinese people in Hong Kong. Methodology: It is a cross-sectional survey using a self-developed questionnaire. Chinese people of aged 18 or above were recruited in this study. Knowledge on CDT was assessed from five categories with 7 questions in each category and one score for one correct answer. Higher scores indicated better knowledge of CDT. Results: A total of 384 respondents participated in this study with 100% response rate. Of which, 380 questionnaires were valid for analysis (99%). The overall mean score of the knowledge on CDT was 18.49±6.46. Knowledge on compatibility of food consumption with different types of body constitution was the best (3.95±1.79), whereas knowledge on compatibility of food consumption with various age groups was the worse. Conclusion: The findings reflected that the knowledge on CDT among Chinese people in Hong Kong was rather weak. A series of health education on CDT should be organized to enrich people�??s related knowledge to achieve a balanced state through appropriate CDT in order to maintain health.
Mei Kuen Li is the Associate Professor of School of Nursing and Health Studies, The Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK). She is the Program Leader of the Master of Nursing, Chinese Medicinal Nursing program in OUHK.
E-mail: mkli@ouhk.edu.hk