PREVALENCE, KNOWLEDGE AND USAGE OF HERBAL DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS AMONG WORKERS IN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN IBADAN, NIGERIA

Abstract

Herbal dietary supplements (HDS) are plants or plant extracts, other than food, used for the purpose of providing addition nutritional and health benefits to the body. People looking for quick and easy ways to improve nutrition and health have made these non-food sources of nutrition increasingly popular while neglecting the negative effects that could be associated with the use. An understanding of reasons related to the use of HDS may help in the development of appropriate interventions to address the misuse of these products. This study therefore, aimed at assessing the knowledge and usage of HDS among workers in Agricultural Research Institutes in Ibadan. This study was conducted using a descriptive cross-sectional study design to select respondents from three agricultural research institutes in Ibadan (i.e. National Horticultural Research Institute-NIHORT, Forestry Research Institute-FRIN and Institute for Agriculture and Research and Training-IAR&T). A two-stage sampling technique involving proportionate and simple random sampling technique was used to select 422 participants from the institutes. A semistructured self-administered questionnaire was used to elicit information from the study population. Knowledge of appropriate use of HDS was assessed using a 15-point scale; it was categorised as poor (0-5), fair (>5-10) and good (>10) knowledge. Descriptive statistics, Chisquare test and regression analysis were used to analyse the data at p=0.05 level of significance. Age of respondents was 38.1±8.7 years and it ranged from 18 to 57 years. Males accounted for 54.8% of the sample. Majority of respondents (67.1%) had used HDS before but only 46.8% were currently using them. Out of those currently using HDS, 70.8% were occasional users. Moringa, garlic, ginger and aloe vera were the HDS mostly taken with 67.9%, 47.3%, 45.0% and 32.2% of respondents taking them respectively. Fifty eight (71.6%) out of the 81 respondents on prescription drugs used the drugs alongside HDS. The knowledge of appropriate use of HDS for all respondents was 3.4±1.1 points. Respondents with poor, fair and good knowledge of appropriate use of HDS were 69.1%, 27.3% and 3.6% respectively. Out of respondents who had used HDS before, 135 (51.5%) used them to prevent diseases and 81 (30.9%) to treat diseases. The proportion of respondents who used HDS for the first time because they read or heard about the benefits from the media/internet was the largest (27.9%) compared to other reasons. There was significant association between age and use of HDS. More males (60.8%) used HDS

compared to females. Knowledge was significantly associated with use of HDS. Respondents that had good knowledge of use were less likely to have used HDS, (OR: 0.8, 95% CI: 0.8-0.9) and respondents that had doctorate degree were less likely to have used HDS, (OR: 0.3, 95% CI: 1.1-1.6). The use of herbal dietary supplements was high among workers in agricultural research institutes in Ibadan. Knowledge of appropriate use was poor in the majority in this population and disease prevention was the main reason for usage. Enlightenment programmes that will provide basic nutrition information and also discuss appropriate use of these supplements are needed.