The difference between knowledge and attitude of Jenderal Soedirman University students in consuming halal food

Abstract

The student was one of the Moslem consumers who tended to emphasize the consumption of practical, fast food, and affordable food. Nevertheless, they were an individual who had the intelligence to think and act, so that knowledge could be used as a basis for determining attitudes in consuming food. Moreover, food was one of the basic needs that could support the process of human life. For this reason, comprehensive knowledge was needed from both an Islamic perspective and nutritional science about food. In the perspective of nutrition science, healthy food was food that contained nutritional imbalances and found the hygiene and sanitation standards of the food administration system. Whereas in Islam it was halal and thayyib food, namely good, healthy, delicious food, protected from danger, dirt (najis), and forbidden substances so that sharia law allowed supervision to consume it because it contained benefits and virtues for the body. The integration of knowledge from the two disciplines above was important for students, because it was possible to determine attitude in choosing food. The level of student knowledge about halal food was certainly diverse, regardless of educational background. Knowledge of halal food could be obtained by students through general and religious education (Islamic boarding school). However, it was possible for students to obtain it through other media, such as the internet, given the advanced and sophisticated technology so that knowledge is very easy to access. From this phenomenon, it was possible that there was a difference between the knowledge and attitude of students in consuming halal food, in terms of their educational background and the environment in which they lived. To answer this assumption, it was important to conduct research on the differences between the knowledge and attitude of Jenderal Soedirman University students who lived and did not live in Islamic boarding school in consuming halal food. The study was designed cross-sectional method. About 122 samples were picked by purposive sampling. Knowledge gap and attitude toward halal food were measured using questioner. The data obtained were then analysed using the independent t-test. The results showed that there was no different level of knowledge about halal food (p=0.421) nor attitude in consuming halal food (p=0.080) of both the groups. It could be concluded that within living location whether in Islamic boarding school did not matter in knowledge and consumption of halal foods.