Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of people in Bosomtwe district towards traditional medicine use and their early healthcare-seeking behavior in Ashanti region, Ghana

Abstract

Introduction: Traditional medicine has been practiced for many decades and is found in most countries worldwide. The demand for its services is increasing. In Africa, up to 80% of the population uses traditional medicine one way or the other. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Bosomtwe district of Ashanti Region, Ghana. The study consisted of 150 respondents who were conveniently sampled. The eligibility criteria were participants aged 18 years and above who lived in Bosomtwe district. The respondents were interviewed using a questionnaire, and data were collected to assess the people's knowledge, attitude, and practice toward traditional medicine use and their early healthcare-seeking behavior. In addition, chi-squared analysis was used to determine the association between age, gender, educational status, and traditional medicine usage. Result: All the respondents interviewed had heard about traditional medicine, and 58% of them knew the composition of traditional medicine. Most information about traditional medicine in the community was through the media and relatives. 76% of the respondents sought traditional medicine as their preferred primary healthcare option. In comparison, up to 78.7% of the respondents use or have used traditional medicine before, demonstrating higher patronage of traditional medicine use in the communities. The most typical route of administration of traditional medicine among the respondents was via the oral route (44.7%). 46.6% of the respondents use traditional medicine before seeking early medical care and mainly delay at home for one month. 19.5% of the respondents use traditional medicine without medical treatment, and 16.1% use traditional medicine along with hospital treatment. 17.8% use traditional medicine only when medical treatment fails. There was no significant association between age, gender, educational status, and traditional medicine usage. Conclusion: Traditional medicine plays a vital role in the health practices of individuals in the Bosomtwe district and, as such, needs to be educated on the adverse effects, drug-to-drug interactions, and the need to seek hospital treatment early before the illnesses progress to chronicity.