Use of Medicinal Plants for the Treatment of Diarrhea in Under-Five Children in Ikot Abasi Community, Akwa-Ibom State

Abstract

Background: Diarrheal diseases remain a leading cause of child morbidity and mortality with higher prevalence in under-five children in developing countries. Aim: This study was conducted to investigate the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of diarrhea in under-five children in the study area. Methods: Households in the community with under-five child(ren) were purposively selected for the study. A well-structured questionnaire was self-administered to collect basic data. The data was analyzed and the results were presented with descriptive statistics. Results: Majority (59.7%) of the respondents were familiar with the use of medicinal plants for treating diarrhoea. Only 15.6% were aware of the side effects of its use. Ocimum gratissimum (37.7%) was the most commonly used plant while Citrus aurantifolia and Lasianthera africana (4%) were the least. A good number (42.9%) of the mothers attested to the effectiveness of medicinal plant for treatment in the studied group. Major personal factors influencing their choice of medicinal plants over conventional medicine were; limited access to healthcare facilities (66.2%) and financial constraint (45.5%). The most common social factors influencing their choice of medicinal plants were; family influence (51.9%) and peer influence (48.1%). Conclusion: Majority of the respondent used medicinal plants to treat diarrhea in their under-five children and their perceived effectiveness was very high. However, their level of awareness on its side effects was very low. Limited access to healthcare and family influence were the major factors that influenced their choice of medicinal plants over conventional medicine. Key words: diarrhea, under-five children, treatment, medicinal plants, factors, households.