Prevalence and Patterns of Herbal Medicine Use among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients at the University Teaching Hospitals in Lusaka

Abstract

Background: In 2015, Zambia reported 218,200 instances of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) with 8,232 diabetes-related fatalities. Insulin therapy and oral antidiabetic medications are two pharmacological therapies used to treat diabetes mellitus. Herbal medicine, on the other hand, has a lengthy history and is an easily accessible and economical therapeutic option. Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) are increasingly turning to herbal therapies as keeping to conventional regimens becomes more challenging. Aim: We aimed to assess the prevalence and patterns of herbal medicine use among Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients at the University Teaching Hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 101 T2DM patients using a self-administered questionnaire from August to October 2021. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 26. Results: Of the 101 participants, (n = 93, 92.1%) used herbal medicines. Garlic (Allium sativum) was the most widely used herbal medication (58.4%), followed by Moringa (Moringa oleifera) at 42.6%, and mule (Myrrh) at 5%. The need to treat diabetes and other medical problems (n = 47, 50.5%) was the main reason for herbal medicines use, followed by family tradition or culture 36 (38.7%). The primary source of information about herbal medicines use was friends (n = 46, 45.5%), followed by family members (n = 38, 37.6%). The majority (n = 83, 82.2%) of the participants reported not having any adverse events from herbal medicines, and only (n = 10, 9.9%) had experienced side effects. Conclusion: There was a high use of herbal medicines among T2DM patients, particularly those aged between 45 and 76 years. From the standpoint of high prevalence and low disclosure rate, it is imperative for healthcare providers to strongly educate patients regarding the use of herbal medicines. In addition, the public need to be educated on pharmacovigilance so that they know the report of adverse events even those that may be associated with herbal medicines.