The Iranian Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Infertility

The Iranian Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Infertility

Prevalence of use of medicinal plants and its relationship with health literacy and attitude among pregnant women

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Nazanin Ghasemi 1
Shabnam Omidvar 2
Sana Nazmi 3
1 Student of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Ayatollah Amoli Branch, Islamic Azad University, Amol, Iran.
2 Associate professor, Department of Reproductive health, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
3 M.Sc. Student of Counseling in Midwifery, Student Research Committee, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
10.22038/ijogi.2023.22146
Abstract
Introduction: Women are the main users of medicinal plants and they usually continue using them during pregnancy without considering the potential maternal and fetal risks. The present study was performed with aim to determine the frequency of consumption of medicinal plants and its relationship with health literacy and attitude of pregnant women towards medicinal plants.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical and retrospective study was conducted in 2022 on 322 pregnant women who visited the hospitals in the west of Mazandaran for delivery. Data collection tools was questionnaire that the first part included the demographic characteristics and the pattern of medicinal plant consumption, the second part was the attitude toward the consumption of medicinal plants, and the third part was the health literacy. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 25) and Independent t and Chi-square tests. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: Among 322 pregnant women participated in this study, 134 (41.6%) consumed medicinal plants during pregnancy. The most common reason for consumption was digestive problems. Mint and borage were the most commonly used herbs. The first and third trimesters of pregnancy were the most common times of consuming herbs (65.5%). No relationship was found between the frequency of consumption with demographic characteristics and health literacy, but a significant relationship was found between frequency of consumption and attitude towards medicinal plants (P<0.001).
Conclusion: Considering the relationship between prevalence of medicinal plant consumption and attitude towards medicinal plants, and lack of the relationship with health literacy, it is necessary to take a fundamental action to improve the attitude and raise the awareness of pregnant women regarding the use of medicinal plants.
Keywords
Attitude
Health literacy
Medicinal plants
Pregnancy
  1. Moussally K, Oraichi D, Bérard A. Herbal products use during pregnancy: prevalence and predictors. Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety 2009; 18(6):454-61.
  2. Sereshty M, Azari P, Rafiean M, Kheiri S. Use of herbal medicines by pregnant women in Shahr-e-Kord. Journal of Reproduction & Infertility 2006; 7(2).
  3. Adams J, Lui CW, Sibbritt D, Broom A, Wardle J, Homer C, et al. Women's use of complementary and alternative medicine during pregnancy: a critical review of the literature. Birth 2009; 36(3):237-45.
  4. Frawley J, Adams J, Sibbritt D, Steel A, Broom A, Gallois C. Prevalence and determinants of complementary and alternative medicine use during pregnancy: results from a nationally representative sample of Australian pregnant women. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 2013; 53(4):347-52.
  5. Louik C, Gardiner P, Kelley K, Mitchell AA. Use of herbal treatments in pregnancy. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology 2010; 202(5):439-e1.
  6. Abdollahi F, Khani S, Charati JY. Prevalence and related factors to herbal medicines use among pregnant females. Jundishapur Journal of Natural Pharmaceutical Products 2018; 13(3).
  7. Sattari M, Dilmaghanizadeh M, Hamishehkar H, Mashayekhi SO. Self-reported use and attitudes regarding herbal medicine safety during pregnancy in Iran. Jundishapur Journal of Natural Pharmaceutical Products 2012; 7(2):45.
  8. Hashem Dabaghian F, Abdollahi Fard M, Shojaei A, Kianbakht S, Zafarghandi N, Goushegir A. Use and Attitude on Herbal Medicine in a Group of Pregnant Women in Tehran. Journal of Medicinal Plants 2012; 11(41):22.
  9. Tabatabaee M. Use of herbal medicine among pregnant women referring to Valiasr Hospital in Kazeroon, Fars, South of Iran. Journal of Medicinal Plants 2011; 10(37):96-108.
  10. Hosseini SH, Rajabzadeh R, Nosrati H, Naseri F, Toroski M, Mohaddes Hakkak H, et al. Prevalence of medicinal herbs consumption in pregnant women referring to Bojnurd health care centers. Iran J Obstet Gynecol Infertil 2017; 20(9):33-40.
  11. Dabirifard M, Maghsoudi Z, Dabirifard S, Salmani N. Frequency, causes and how to use medicinal herbs during pregnancy. Iran J Obstet Gynecol Infertil 2017; 20(4):66-75.
  12. Soleymani S, Makvandi S. Rate of herbal medicines use during pregnancy and some related factors in women of Ahvaz, Iran: 2017. Iran J Obstet Gynecol Infertil 2018; 21(5):80-6.
  13. Frawley J, Adams J, Steel A, Broom A, Gallois C, Sibbritt D. Women's use and self-prescription of herbal medicine during pregnancy: an examination of 1,835 pregnant women. Women's Health Issues 2015; 25(4):396-402.
  14. Bruno LO, Simoes RS, de Jesus Simoes M, Girão MJ, Grundmann O. Pregnancy and herbal medicines: an unnecessary risk for women's health—a narrative review. Phytotherapy Research 2018; 32(5):796-810.
  15. Ahmed SM, Nordeng H, Sundby J, Aragaw YA, de Boer HJ. The use of medicinal plants by pregnant women in Africa: a systematic review. Journal of ethnopharmacology 2018; 224:297-313.
  16. Gebremedhin GL, Gomathi P. Assessment of drug use and effect in pregnant women attending antenatal care in hospitals of Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia. Journal of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics 2014; 4(6):75-82.
  17. Kaingu CK, Oduma JA, Kanui TI. Practices of traditional birth attendants in Machakos District, Kenya. Journal of ethnopharmacology 2011; 137(1):495-502.
  18. Shoorideh ZM, Azadbakht M, Zarifkar AA, Jafari AA, Hossieni SH. The Effect of "Vitex Agnus Castus" Folio Extract on Serum Prolactin Consentration of Female Rats in Gastation. Iranian Journal of Biology 2007; 20(1):99-109.
  19. Kindig DA, Panzer AM, Nielsen-Bohlman L, editors. Health literacy: a prescription to end confusion; 2004.
  20. Reisi M, Javadzade SH, Mostafavi F, Sharifirad G, Radjati F, Hasanzade A. Relationship between health literacy, health status, and healthy behaviors among older adults in Isfahan, Iran. Journal of education and health promotion 2012; 1(1):31.
  21. Kim SH. Health literacy and functional health status in Korean older adults. Journal of clinical nursing 2009; 18(16):2337-43.
  22. McNaughton CD, Cawthon C, Kripalani S, Liu D, Storrow AB, Roumie CL. Health literacy and mortality: a cohort study of patients hospitalized for acute heart failure. Journal of the American Heart Association 2015; 4(5):e001799.
  23. Giuse NB, Koonce TY, Storrow AB, Kusnoor SV, Ye F. Using health literacy and learning style preferences to optimize the delivery of health information. Journal of health communication 2012; 17(sup3):122-40.
  24. El Hajj M, Sitali DC, Vwalika B, Holst L. Herbal medicine use among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Lusaka Province, Zambia: A cross-sectional, multicentre study. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 2020; 40:101218.
  25. Montazeri AL, Tavousi M, Rakhshani F, Azin SA, Jahangiri K, Ebadi M, et al. Health Literacy for Iranian Adults (HELIA): development and psychometric properties. Payesh (Health Monitor) 2014; 13(5):589-99.
  26. Raoufinejad K, Gholami K, Javadi M, Rajabi M, Torkamandi H, Moeini A, et al. A retrospective cohort study of herbal medicines use during pregnancy: Prevalence, adverse reactions, and newborn outcomes. Traditional and Integrative Medicine 2020: 70-85.
  27. John LJ, Shantakumari N. Herbal medicines use during pregnancy: a review from the Middle East. Oman medical journal 2015; 30(4):229.
  28. Paryab M, Raeeszadeh M. The study of the rate and reasons of medical herb use by the patients visiting the specialized treatment centers in Fars province in 2014. Community Health Journal 2017; 10(2):62-71.
  29. Hashem Dabaghian F. Knowledge of pregnant women about the efficacy and safety of herbal medicine and their practice during pregnancy. Complementary Medicine Journal 2012; 2(3):246-56.
  30. Bent S. Herbal medicine in the United States: review of efficacy, safety, and regulation: grand rounds at University of California, San Francisco Medical Center. Journal of general internal medicine 2008; 23:854-9.
  31. De Smet PA. Herbal remedies. New England Journal of Medicine 2002; 347(25):2046-56.
  32. Al Essa M, Alissa A, Alanizi A, Bustami R, Almogbel F, Alzuwayed O, et al. Pregnant women’s use and attitude toward herbal, vitamin, and mineral supplements in an academic tertiary care center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi pharmaceutical journal 2019; 27(1):138-44.
  33. Bains SS, Egede LE. Association of health literacy with complementary and alternative medicine use: a cross-sectional study in adult primary care patients. BMC complementary and alternative medicine 2011; 11(1):1-8.
  34. von Conrady DM, Bonney A. Patterns of complementary and alternative medicine use and health literacy in general practice patients in urban and regional Australia. Australian Family Physician 2017; 46(5):315-24.
  35. Kim Sooi L, Lean Keng S. Herbal medicines: Malaysian women’s knowledge and practice. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine 2013; 2013.
  36. Fakeye TO, Adisa R, Musa IE. Attitude and use of herbal medicines among pregnant women in Nigeria. BMC Complementary and alternative medicine 2009; 9:1-7.
The Iranian Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Infertility
Volume 26, Issue 1
March 2023
Pages 54-62