Characteristic of Holy Water (Mai Tselot) Users in Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia, Cross-Sectional Study, 2019

Abstract

Holy water is a traditional medicine used in Tigray region of Ethiopia. Holy water in the form of a drink and a shower is the main treatment used by people who face health problems, together with other spiritual practices. The study aimed to assess the characteristics of people using holy water (Mai Tselot) in Tigray. Descriptive cross-sectional quantitative study design was conducted in Mekelle City, Tigray region, Ethiopia, and eight holy water institutions located in Mekelle City 5 were selected using the lottery method. Second, 200 holy water users were selected purposely and proportionally. Descriptive analysis was performed using the SPSS software version 23. Chronic non-communicable diseases in patients 124 (67.81%) were the most dominant holy water users. Out of these 90 (49.18%) had mental-health problems. A total of 144 (78.68%) patients visited the health facilities for treatment before opting for a holy water institution. Two third 25 (64.1%) of the holy water users did not believe in modern medicine, and 167 (83.5%) of the holy water users did not believe that they would get disease from other individuals in the holy water place. The leading health problem of holy water users was chronic not-communicable diseases, and most of them visited health facilities before opting for holy water. This finding suggests that health education and counseling should be strengthened in health care facilities. Improve health facility quality service delivery status, strengthen health insurance and conduct extensive research concerning holy water users and institutions.