WOMEN'S HABITS, BELIEFS AND KNOWLEDGE LEVELS TOWARDS SPICE USE

Background: Spices are components which are used to increase the taste, appearance and odor quality of food and are reported to have many medical benefits. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine women’s attitudes, beliefs and knowledge levels towards spice use in Kayseri. Method: The sample of the study is composed of 198 volunteer women who consulted to Kocasinan, Melikgazi and Hac？lar Health Society Centers in Kayseri between October and November 2013. The data were collected via a questionnaire. Results: It is found out that 90.9 % of women cook at home. The most common spice use is given respectively; bitter red pepper (98 %), mint (97.5 %), black pepper (92.4 %), thyme (91.4 %), and cinnamon (85.9 %). It is found that 51.5 % of women check the expiry date of products at shopping and 55.1% of the women buy spice with the covered package. Moreover, 70.6 % of the women store spices in a colorless jar, 89.4 % of do not consuming expired spices, and %51 of do not measure the amount of the spices when they cook. The percentage of women who think that they do not have enough knowledge about spices is 77.3 %. While 69.2 % of the women expressed that spices could affect the general health, 13.1 % of the women expressed that they have no idea. Conclusion: In our country cooking is largely women's responsibility. For this reason, it is important for women to have enough knowledge about the properties of the spices, their intended use, usage and hiding conditions