Association of healthcare access, demographic and psychosocial factors with herbal medicine use: a survey of paediatric and adult outpatients
- 1Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Public Health, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
- 2Department of Public Health, Faculty of Basic and Applied Biological Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna, Nigeria
Abstract
Objectives: Herbal medicine use is common in sub-Saharan Africa and might be influenced by several important factors. Therefore, this study assessed the association of healthcare access, socio-demographic and psychosocial factors with herbal medicine use.
Design: Cross-sectional design.
Setting: Three tertiary hospitals in Nigeria.
Participants: The study comprised 1250 outpatients who were clinically stable, provided informed consent and could communicate effectively. Patients who needed emergency/critical care or were mentally unstable were excluded.
Primary and secondary outcome measures: The primary outcome measure was the influence of variables such as healthcare access, demographic and psychosocial factors on herbal medicine use.
Results: The prevalence of herbal medicine use was 48.6%, and ethnicity was significantly associated with lifetime use (χ² = 37.905, p=0.036). Having tertiary education had non-significant but higher odds of herbal medicine use (OR=1.543; 95% CI 1.023–2.321; p=0.059). In multivariate logistic regression, which controlled for all healthcare access variables simultaneously, herbal medicines had over five times higher odds of being the first treatment choice (aOR=5.42; 95% CI 3.15 to 9.31; p<0.001). Preference for herbal/traditional care was a powerful predictor, doubling the odds of use (aOR=2.05; 95% CI 1.49 to 2.82; p<0.001). Perceiving healthcare as ‘not accessible at all‘ also showed significant associations (aOR=1.65; 95% CI 1.07 to 2.54; p=0.023), and the identification of long waiting times as a barrier also increased the odds of use (aOR=1.38; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.85; p=0.032). The psychosocial factors did not show statistically significant associations with lifetime use of herbal medicines.
Conclusions: Herbal medicine use was associated with ethnicity, healthcare accessibility and long hospital waiting times and was commonly the first treatment choice, highlighting a crucial need for structural and systematic integration of herbal medicine therapy into the healthcare system. Future studies may examine the barriers to successful integration in low- and middle-income countries to inform appropriate interventions.
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BibTeX
@article{iheanacho2026association,
title = {{Association of healthcare access, demographic and psychosocial factors with herbal medicine use: a survey of paediatric and adult outpatients}},
author = {Chinonyerem Ogadi Iheanacho and Obiamaka Vivian Emma-Ogbuefi and Agnetha Ehianeta Elimian and Joy Chinaza Etebefia},
journal = {BMJ Open},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1136/bmjopen-2026-118559},
url = {https://bmjopen.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bmjopen-2026-118559},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Association of healthcare access, demographic and psychosocial factors with herbal medicine use: a survey of paediatric and adult outpatients
AU - Chinonyerem Ogadi Iheanacho
AU - Obiamaka Vivian Emma-Ogbuefi
AU - Agnetha Ehianeta Elimian
AU - Joy Chinaza Etebefia
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/02
JO - BMJ Open
DO - 10.1136/bmjopen-2026-118559
UR - https://bmjopen.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bmjopen-2026-118559
AB - Objectives: Herbal medicine use is common in sub-Saharan Africa and might be influenced by several important factors. Therefore, this study assessed the association of healthcare access, socio-demographic and psychosocial factors with herbal medicine use. Design: Cross-sectional design. Setting: Three tertiary hospitals in Nigeria. Participants: The study comprised 1250 outpatients who were clinically stable, provided informed consent and could communicate effectively. Patients who needed emergency/critical care or were mentally unstable were excluded. Primary and secondary outcome measures: The primary outcome measure was the influence of variables such as healthcare access, demographic and psychosocial factors on herbal medicine use. Results: The prevalence of herbal medicine use was 48.6%, and ethnicity was significantly associated with lifetime use (χ² = 37.905, p=0.036). Having tertiary education had non-significant but higher odds of herbal medicine use (OR=1.543; 95% CI 1.023–2.321; p=0.059). In multivariate logistic regression, which controlled for all healthcare access variables simultaneously, herbal medicines had over five times higher odds of being the first treatment choice (aOR=5.42; 95% CI 3.15 to 9.31; p<0.001). Preference for herbal/traditional care was a powerful predictor, doubling the odds of use (aOR=2.05; 95% CI 1.49 to 2.82; p<0.001). Perceiving healthcare as ‘not accessible at all‘ also showed significant associations (aOR=1.65; 95% CI 1.07 to 2.54; p=0.023), and the identification of long waiting times as a barrier also increased the odds of use (aOR=1.38; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.85; p=0.032). The psychosocial factors did not show statistically significant associations with lifetime use of herbal medicines. Conclusions: Herbal medicine use was associated with ethnicity, healthcare accessibility and long hospital waiting times and was commonly the first treatment choice, highlighting a crucial need for structural and systematic integration of herbal medicine therapy into the healthcare system. Future studies may examine the barriers to successful integration in low- and middle-income countries to inform appropriate interventions.
SN - 2044-6055
SN - 2044-6055
ER -