Preliminary effects of a red ginger–honey drink on symptoms of acute respiratory infection in toddlers: A quasi-experimental study
- 1Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitas Malahayati, Lampung, Indonesia
Abstract
Background: Acute respiratory infection (ARI) is a common cause of illness in children younger than five years. Red ginger and honey have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and demulcent properties that may relieve respiratory symptoms, although pediatric evidence remains limited.
Objective: To evaluate changes in body temperature, respiratory rate, cough frequency, and peripheral oxygen saturation among toddlers receiving usual care with or without an adjunctive red ginger–honey drink.
Methods: A quasi-experimental nonequivalent pretest–posttest control-group study was conducted at the Labuhan Ratu Community Health Center, Bandar Lampung, in 2026. Thirty toddlers with physician-diagnosed ARI were selected purposively and allocated to an intervention group (n = 15) or a control group (n = 15). Both groups continued physician-prescribed care; the intervention group additionally received a drink prepared from 5–10 g of fresh red ginger in 150–200 mL of water plus 10 g of honey twice daily for five days. Paired-samples t tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests evaluated within-group changes.
Results: Body temperature did not change significantly in either group (intervention p = .913; control p = .275). Respiratory rate decreased in both groups (both p = .001), cough frequency decreased in both groups (both p < .001), and oxygen saturation increased in both groups (intervention p = .002; control p = .013). The reduction in cough frequency was descriptively greater in the intervention group (mean change 8.267) than in the control group (mean change 7.200).
Conclusion: Clinical improvement occurred in both groups. The red ginger–honey drink may have adjunctive potential, particularly for cough relief, but superiority over usual care cannot be established from within-group tests alone. Larger studies using randomized allocation, baseline comparability assessment, and direct between-group analyses are required.
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BibTeX
@article{ardiyanto2026preliminary,
title = {{Preliminary effects of a red ginger–honey drink on symptoms of acute respiratory infection in toddlers: A quasi-experimental study}},
author = {Ferri Arya Ardiyanto and Setiawati Setiawati and Linawati Novikasari},
journal = {Lentera Perawat},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.52235/lp.v7i3.856},
url = {https://doi.org/10.52235/lp.v7i3.856},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Preliminary effects of a red ginger–honey drink on symptoms of acute respiratory infection in toddlers: A quasi-experimental study
AU - Ferri Arya Ardiyanto
AU - Setiawati Setiawati
AU - Linawati Novikasari
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - Lentera Perawat
DO - 10.52235/lp.v7i3.856
UR - https://doi.org/10.52235/lp.v7i3.856
AB - Background: Acute respiratory infection (ARI) is a common cause of illness in children younger than five years. Red ginger and honey have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and demulcent properties that may relieve respiratory symptoms, although pediatric evidence remains limited. Objective: To evaluate changes in body temperature, respiratory rate, cough frequency, and peripheral oxygen saturation among toddlers receiving usual care with or without an adjunctive red ginger–honey drink. Methods: A quasi-experimental nonequivalent pretest–posttest control-group study was conducted at the Labuhan Ratu Community Health Center, Bandar Lampung, in 2026. Thirty toddlers with physician-diagnosed ARI were selected purposively and allocated to an intervention group (n = 15) or a control group (n = 15). Both groups continued physician-prescribed care; the intervention group additionally received a drink prepared from 5–10 g of fresh red ginger in 150–200 mL of water plus 10 g of honey twice daily for five days. Paired-samples t tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests evaluated within-group changes. Results: Body temperature did not change significantly in either group (intervention p = .913; control p = .275). Respiratory rate decreased in both groups (both p = .001), cough frequency decreased in both groups (both p < .001), and oxygen saturation increased in both groups (intervention p = .002; control p = .013). The reduction in cough frequency was descriptively greater in the intervention group (mean change 8.267) than in the control group (mean change 7.200). Conclusion: Clinical improvement occurred in both groups. The red ginger–honey drink may have adjunctive potential, particularly for cough relief, but superiority over usual care cannot be established from within-group tests alone. Larger studies using randomized allocation, baseline comparability assessment, and direct between-group analyses are required.
SN - 2722-2837
SN - 2830-1846
ER -