Impact of traditional food and medicine on healthy aging and high life expectancy: Implications for practice

Abstract

Life expectancy in Sub-Saharan countries is reported to be very low with Zimbabwe having the lowest life expectancy of 34 and 42 years for women and men, respectively. Low life expectancy can be attributed to poverty and low access to health care services. Despite those challenges, some people have lived above 80 years because of a lifestyle fostered using traditional food and medicine. For this study, a qualitative approach through exploratory and descriptive research designs was adopted. Criterion purposive sampling was used to select twenty-five (25) respondents from Ward 4, Bikita District of Masvingo Province in Zimbabwe. The researchers used in-depth interviews and focus group discussions as data collection tools. Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) was employed to analyse the data. The findings of the study indicate people who are accustomed to the use of traditional food and medicine have little consideration for processed food and pharmaceutical medicine. They further revealed that lifestyles fostered using traditional food and medicine contribute to healthy aging and higher life expectancy. There are a lot of traditional herbs that are used to cure a variety of diseases in Zimbabwe. The impact of traditional food and medicine on healthy aging and high life expectancy is based on their availability where people of low socio economic status can easily access them. Traditional medicine is complemented by traditional food in ensuring a prolonged health life in rural Zimbabwe.

Keywords: Traditional food, traditional medicine, healthy aging, life expectancy.