Bachground
Herbal beverages are already well-known to people nowadays. They can be considered as nutritional drinks with the addition of some herbs to the beverage. The current study is aimed to evaluate General Public Knowledge and Perception towards Herbal Beverages in Kuantan, Malaysia.
Objectives:
To explore the knowledge and perception towards use and safety of herbal beverages Kuantan general public.
Methodology
A cross-sectional study using a structured questionnaire was done. The questionnaire consisted of three parts: respondent socio-demographics, knowledge and perception towards the use and safety of consumption of herbal beverages were distributed to a random sample of Kuantan residents. This study was conducted during November to December 2012.
Results
Three hundred seventy nine respondents answered the questionnaire with a response rate >80%. Forty eight percent of them didn't know that the manufacturing of herbal beverages is without Ministry of Health (MOH) approval and 48.8% of them didn't know the side effects of taking herbal beverages for a prolonged time. However, 66% of the respondents showed that the herbal beverages are not safe and 61.7% on the knowledge that they are not a medicine. The result showed that 57.8% of the respondents have inadequate knowledge towards the use of herbal beverages.
Forty three percent of the respondents perceived herbal beverages as beneficial. The main factors that drive the public to consume herbal beverages are advice from others, followed by advertisements and easily availability of the product.
The majority of public in Kuantan has inadequate knowledge regarding herbal beverages and negative perception on safety and efficacy. The inadequate knowledge on the side effects of the herbal beverages might expose them to risk
