Knowledge, Attitude and Utilization of Traditional Medicine among the Communities of Arerti Town, Semen Showa Zone, Amhara Regional State, South East Ethiopia

Abstract

Gossa Tassew Zeleke and Tefera Tezera Negera

At different places various findings emphasize the need for further studies of the impact of multiple healthcare resources and treatments, as well as illicit drugs, on clinical outcome, chronic care and patient retention. Mostly Traditional Medicine (TM) is ignored in the research and contributions of modern drugs advancement. This study aimed at assessing the knowledge, attitude and factors affecting the utilization of traditional medicine among the communities of Arerti town, Semen Showa Zone, Amhara Regional State, and South East Ethiopia. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the study area and systematic random sampling technique was used to select households. A structured closed ended questionnaire was used to collect data through house to house interview among 490 participants identified for the study. The data was entered by using Epi-Data version 3.1 and analyzed using statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 25.The studies revealed four hundred and sixty-seven (97.3%) have heard about traditional medicine, while three hundred eighty (80%) of them have used traditional medicine in their life time. Study participant’s educational group of primary and secondary school were 0.230 and 0.317 times less likely utilize traditional medicine as compared to uneducated groups respectively. (AOR 0.230, 95% CI, (0.093, 0.569) and 0.317, 95% CI, (0.121, 0.833). Of the respondents age category 38-47, 48-57 and 58 and above years old were 0.246, 0.317 and 0.204 times less likely utilize traditional medicine than respondents of age 8-27 years.

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