Perceived potency of herbal medicines for treatment of illnesses among residents of Odo-Otin Local Government Area, Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Herbal medicine is the use of herbs or medicinal plants properties for the prevention and treatment of illnesses.’ It takes the form of  concoction, decoction and infusion. The researchers observed common usage of herbal medicines among residents of Odo-Otin Local  Government Area, Osun State, Nigeria and there was a claimed of efficacy of these herbs despite not fully integrated in healthcare. The  purpose of the study therefore, was to investigate the perceived potency of; (i) candle bush flower (senna alata) and boundary tree leave  (newboldia laevis) for the treatment of pile and diarrhoea. A descriptive research design of the survey type was employed for this study.  The population of the study comprised all herbal medicine users in OdoOtin Local Government Area, Osun State, Nigeria. Multi-stage  sampling procedure which consists of purposive and snowball sampling techniques used to select 384 respondents for the study. A  researchers developed questionnaire validated by three experts in the Department of Health Promotion and Environmental Health  Education, University of Ilorin, Nigeria was used for the study and tested for reliability using a split-half method. A reliability coefficient of  0.75 was obtained using the Spearman Brown Prophesy Formula. Relevant data collected by the researchers and three trained research  assistants. Inferential statistics of Chi-square was used to test the hypotheses formulated for the study at 0.05 level of significance. The  findings of the study indicated that, the use of candle bush flower was perceived as significantly potent for the treatment of pile because  the calculated value of (25.21) greater than the table value of (21.03) at 12 degree of freedom, the use of boundary tree leaves was  perceived as significantly potent for the treatment of diarrhoea because the calculated value of (28.33) greater than the table value of  (21.03) at 12 degree of freedom. The study concluded that candle bush flower and boundary tree leave are potent for the treatment of  pile and diarrhoea. Therefore, it was recommended that candle bush flower and boundary tree leave should further subject to NAFDAC  test and if found effective should be consider for the treatment of pile and diarrhoea.