KNOWLEDGE, PERCEPTION, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES RELATING TO HERBAL MEDICATION USE AMONG UNDERGRADUATES IN THE UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN, NIGERIA

Abstract

Traditionally, herbs have been used for medicinal purposes throughout history. Many herbal remedies are self-administered without any guidance from knowledgeable sources on their contra-indications, efficacy or safety. Herbal Medication (HM) may affect vital organs such as kidneys, lungs, liver and gastro intestinal tract. Despite all these, HM usage still persists even among educated elites. Invariably, an understanding of factors, which encourage HM is imperative. This study was therefore designed to assess the knowledge, perception, attitude and practice of herbal medication among undergraduates in University of lbadan. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a two-stage sampling technique to select halls of residence, blocks, rooms and 458 consenting respondents. A semi-structured self-administered questionnaire was used to elicit information on respondents' socio-demographic characteristics. HM knowledge, perception, attitude and practices. Knowledge of HM was measured on a 22 point scale with scores <12 and ≥12 categorised as poor and good respectively. Perception of HM was measured on a 48-point scale with scores <25 and ≥25 rated as negative and positive respectively. Attitude towards HM was measured on a 28-point scale with scores <15 and ≥15 classified as negative and positive respectively. Practice of HM was measured on 22-point scale with scores <12 and ≥12 categorised as poor and good respectively. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, logistic regression and Chi-square test at p=0.05. Respondents' age was 20.8±3.0 years and 55.2% were males. Forty nine percent of the respondents were between ages 16-20 years. All the respondents were aware of the use of HM and 56.8% received information from family members. Knowledge score was 8.4±3.0 and 82.5% had poor knowledge. Majority (72.7%) did not know the dosages of HM. Most of the respondents (91.3%) had a positive perception towards HM with a score of 30.8±4.4 and 65.9% agreed that HM is more effective than prescription drugs. Sixty-percent had positive attitude towards HM and 41.3% of the respondents agreed they disire a natural approach to the treatment of illness. Seventy-three percent had ever used HM and out of this, 52.7% (176) had poor practice. Fifty-two percent used HM to treat malaria and 70.9% reported that it was effective. About half of the respondents (50.9%) reported using HM with conventional drugs and 46.1% tried HM first when ill. Commonly reported side effects of HM included stomach ache (8.5%), dizziness (17.8%) and diarrhoea (33.9%). Factors promoting the use of HM included easy accessibility (79.3%), affordability (88.6%) and cultural acceptability for many generations (92.6%). The proportion of respondents with negative attitude to HM was significantly lower (39.8%) than those with positive attitude (60.2%). Respondents with negative attitude towards HM were less likely to use HM (0R=0.8, Cl=0.5-1.3).Though undergraduates had poor practices of using herbal medication, their attitude and perception towards herbal medicine was positive. Therefore, health education intervention on the dangers of use of herbal medication without proper guidance should be targeted towards the students.