Prevalence and correlates of herbal medicine use among type 2 diabetic patients in teaching hospital in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Background: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patients are increasingly using herbal remedies due to the fact that sticking to the therapeutic regimens is becoming awkward. However, studies towards herbal medicine use by diabetic patients is scarce in Ethiopia. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to explore the prevalence and correlates of herbal medicine use with different sociodemographic variables among type 2 diabetes patients visiting the diabetic follow-up clinic of University of Gondar comprehensive specialized hospital (UOGCSH), Ethiopia.Methods: A hospital-based cross sectional study was employed on 387 T2DM patients visiting the diabetes illness follow-up care clinic of UOGCSH from October 1 to November 30, 2016. An interviewer-administered questionnaire regarding the demographic and disease characteristics as well as herbal medicine use was completed by the study subjects. Descriptive, univariate and multivariate logistic regression statistics were performed to determine prevalence and come up with correlates of herbal medicine use.Results: From 387 participants, 62% were reported to be herbal medicine users. The most prevalent herbal preparations used were Garlic (Allium sativum L.) (41.7%), Giesilla (Caylusea abyssinica (fresen.) (39.6%), Tinjute (Otostegia integrifolia Benth) (27.2%), and Kosso (Hagenia abyssinicaa) (26.9%). Most of herbal medicine users (87.1%) didn't consult their physicians about their herbal medicine use. Families and friends (51.9%) were the frontline sources of information about herbal medicine followed by other DM patients who used herbal medicines (28.9%).Conclusions: The present study revealed a high rate of herbal medicine use along with a very low rate use disclosure to the health care professionals. Higher educational status, a family history of DM, duration of T2DM and presence of DM complications were identified to be strong predictors of herbal medicine use. From the stand point of high prevalence and low disclosure rate, it is imperative for health care providers to strongly consult patients regarding herbal medicine use

Psychoactive substance uses among people living with HIV/AIDS in Western Ethiopia: a multi-centered facility-based cross-sectional study

Background: Substance use is very prevalent among HIV-infected people. We examined psychoactive substance use and tobacco smoking among people living with HIV/AIDS in West Ethiopia. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regressions were done to identify the factors associated with alcohol intake, current smoking, and khat use. The variables found significant with a p-value <.2 at bivariable were treated as candidates for the multivariable regression model. P-values of <.05 and 95% CI level were used as statistically significant differences for the final models. Results A total of 418 participants were included in the study, making the response rate 88%. About 152 (36.4%) were khat chewers (36.4, 95% CI: 31.6-40.9) and 175 (41.9%) with 95% CI (37.6-46.4) of them are current smokers. Lack of formal education (AOR = 3.82, 95% CI: 1.36, 10.67), strong social support (AOR = 0.27; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.59), urban resident (AOR = 3.52, 95%CI: 1.32, 9.34), and being single (AOR = 11.84; 95% CI: 2.4, 8.57) were found to be significantly associated with psychoactive substance use among people living with HIV/AIDS. Conclusion This study found that there are higher psycho-active substance users among people infected with HIV compared to the national data level of the same group of population