An Ethnobotanical Survey on the Use of Traditional Medicine among Students in the University of Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

Traditional medicine encompasses the skill and knowledge that is derived from the beliefs, and experiences peculiar to various cultures which can be employed in the preservation and mana- gement of health. This study is an ethnobotanical survey on the use of traditional medicine among students in various faculties at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. A well-structured questionnaire was administered between March – June 2019 to about 986 respondents from all the faculties of the University. Parameters such as reasons for using traditional medicine,
frequency of use of traditional medicine, source of information etc were taken to ascertain the reasons and evaluate the experiences of using traditional medicine among these students. It was analyzed statistically using predictive Analytics software (PASW) Version 17.0 and a nonparametric chi-square test analysis was used to show the relationship between the study variables as well as the level of significance of some pertinent variables at p<0.05. The study shows that family, friends, traditional healers, pharmacy shops, and the open market were the main sources of traditional medicines used by students. Among all the parameters studied in students’ behavior towards medicinal plants, there was no significant difference (p<0.05). However, there were significant differences in all parameters studied in the student charac- teristics in the use and source of traditional medicine in comparison to the range of income. It was revealed that 65.7% of the sampled population uses traditional medicine for various reasons such as treatment, prevention, maintenance, and improvement of health. In compa-rison, 34.3% of students do not use traditional medicine, and this was attributed to a lack of awareness on potency, efficiency, safety and lack of dosage. There is a need to create avenues for extensive study more on efficacy of traditional medicine and awareness campaigns to address these concerns. Also, validation of the safety of these medicines through clinical trials will help ensure the safety of traditional medicine.