Table 2 Reasons for herbal use preference among respondents
From: Survey of ethnobotanical cocktails commonly used in the treatment of malaria in southwestern Nigeria
Reasons for herbal use preference | Ogun state (number = 111) | Oyo state (number = 89) | Total (number = 200) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
Affordability | 21 | 18.92 | 18 | 20.22 | 39 | 39.14 |
Effectiveness/efficacy | 18 | 16.22 | 16 | 17.98 | 34 | 34.2 |
Faster recovery | 9 | 8.11 | 5 | 5.62 | 14 | 13.73 |
Natural gift from God, better living | 7 | 6.31 | 3 | 3.37 | 10 | 9.68 |
Orthodox medicines are harmful | 19 | 17.12 | 14 | 15.73 | 33 | 32.85 |
Herbal treatments are more reliable than orthodox medicines which are usually fake | 5 | 4.50 | 22 | 24.72 | 27 | 29.22 |
Herbal remedies are excreted via urine immediately, while orthodox medicines are stored in the body | 25 | 22.52 | 20 | 22.47 | 45 | 44.99 |
Herbal mixtures cleanse the body system | 20 | 18.02 | 12 | 13.48 | 32 | 31.50 |
Availability | 29 | 26.13 | 31 | 34.83 | 60 | 60.96 |
Stressful waiting in hospital queues | 1 | 0.90 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.9 |
Strong belief in traditional medicine | 53 | 47.75 | 39 | 43.82 | 92 | 91.57 |