Abstract

PREVALENCE OF HERBAL MEDICATION USE TO SHORTEN LABOUR AND COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE OF TOXICITY AMONG WOMEN IN LIVINGSTONE ZAMBIA

Matseliso Meriam Mohapi, *Michelo Haluuma Miyoba, Ambrose Moonga, Wilson Zimba, Yusuf Ademola, Maen Shulammite Musonda and Malan Malumani

ABSTRACT

Background: Traditional medicine, also known as complementary and alternative medicine, is a vital element of ancient civilization's practice of improving people's health and well-being. Herbal medicine is widely used not just by individuals, but also by primary health care providers in underdeveloped nations. Herbal medications are also used in places where conventional treatment is the norm. According to the World Health Organization, 70% to 80% of the world's population gets their basic medicines primarily from herbal sources. Methods: This was a quantitative cross-sectional study in which nursing mothers who delivered at Livingstone Central Hospital between the 1st of March and the 31st of June 2022 were interviewed using questionnaires. The data was entered into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and exported to STATA 17. Data was presented in tables during the presentation of research findings. Descriptive statistical computations, such as p- values and inter-quartile ranges, were also performed. Results: The study comprised of about 184 female participants. The majority of the participants were from rural areas representing 58% and about 52% of the participants were aged between 31- 40 years, followed by those aged 21-30 who made up 45% of the total study population. 98% of women from across all age groups used herbal medicine from the collected sample. The prevalence of women who used herbal medication to shorten labor was found to be 32%. Among the participants who took herbal medication 78.63% (p=0.043) of them took herbal medication with an aim to shorten labor and 97% of them did not know any side effects of the herbal medication (p value <0.01). Majority (71.93%) of the participants who used herbal medication claimed to have taken herbal medication that was derived from plants (p = 0.023), and 64.41 percent of those who did so believed it was safe for their unborn child (p =0.01). Conclusions: The use of herbal medicine was very common among expectant mothers. While a falling tendency was seen in women with tertiary education, both primary and secondary educational status were associated with increased usage of herbal medications to promote labor. Both traditional remedies of plant and animal origin were used, however those from animals were used significantly more frequently. The majority of people lacked knowledge about side effects.

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