Attitude and practice toward traditional medicine among hypertensive patients on follow-up at Mizan–Tepi University Teaching Hospital, Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Introduction: Traditional medicine has been used for the management of common mild conditions such as headache, diarrhea, and common cold as well as in the treatment of chronic diseases including hypertension. The usage of this medicine is regarded as acceptably safe with most Ethiopian people. Attitude and practices toward traditional medicine are crucial elements of hypertension control and its favorable outcome expectation. This study aimed at assessing the attitude and practice toward traditional medicine among hypertensive patients on follow-up at Mizan–Tepi University Teaching Hospital, Southwest Ethiopia. Method: Facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 1st December 2020 to 30th December 2020 among 173 hypertensive patients. A consecutive sampling technique was used to select study participants. Data were collected through interviewer-administered structured questionnaire and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 23. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was done to identify the independent predictors of patients’ attitude toward traditional medicine and their traditional medicine use at a p value ⩽0.05. Results: Eighty-seven (50.29%) of the total 173 approached patients were found to have good attitude toward traditional medicine. Ninety-seven (56.07%) participants had used traditional medicine at least once in their lifetime and 45 (46.39%) patients used traditional medicine and modern medicine concomitantly. Participants’ residence (adjusted odds ratio = 2.79, confidence interval = 1.01–7.74, p-value = 0.049) and educational status (adjusted odds ratio = 1.76, confidence interval = 1.61–5.09, p-value = 0.032) had significant association with attitude toward traditional medicine, while patients’ age (adjusted odds ratio = 1.43, confidence interval = 1.32–4.96, p-value = 0.039), residence (adjusted odds ratio = 2.18, confidence interval = 1.10–4.32, p-value = 0.025), and occupation (adjusted odds ratio = 3.38, confidence interval = 1.55–7.38, p-value = 0.002) had significant association with their traditional medicine use. Conclusion: Half of the study participants had good attitude toward traditional medicine, and nearly, one-fourth of the participants had practiced traditional medicine along with modern medicine. Health service providers should be aware of traditional medicine use and advise patients on the dosing of traditional medicine.