Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2017

College/Unit

School of Pharmacy

Department/Program/Center

Pharmaceutical Systems and Policy

Abstract

ntroduction. Women often use herbal remedies as a complement or alternative to traditional medicine. Guided by the Comprehensive Model of Information Seeking, this study examined use of herbal remedies among mothers of young children living in the Central Appalachian Region. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among mothers of young children (). The outcome measure of interest was the use of any herbal remedy in the past six months. Two scales were developed to measure information seeking channels and to measure beliefs about the safety/efficacy of herbal remedies. Results. One-third reported using herbal remedies in the past six months, with fenugreek being the most common. Most reported using herbal remedies to increase breast milk production and to relieve cold/flu-like symptoms. Women scoring highest in information seeking channels were three times as likely to use herbal remedies. Women scoring highest in the beliefs about the safety/efficacy of herbal remedies were four times as likely to use herbal remedies. Conclusion. Herbal remedies are commonly used among women living in the Central Appalachian Region, a region with lower education and income level. Therefore, public health interventions about the types, safety, and efficacy of herbal remedies may improve health within this population.

Source Citation

Alwhaibi, M., Goyat, R., & Kelly, K. M. (2017). The Use of Herbal Remedies among Mothers of Young Children Living in the Central Appalachian Region. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2017, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/1739740

Comments

Copyright © 2017 Monira Alwhaibi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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