Herbal medicine use and its associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care at Wollega University Referral Hospital, West Ethiopia.

Abstract Background: Herbal medications are plant-derived materials or products with therapeutic or other human health benefits, which contain either raw or processed ingredients from one or more plants. There are many different types of herbal medicine that spring from different cultures around the world. All these have the use of medicinal plants in common. Developing world general population relies on these traditional medicines for primary care. Besides, pregnant women use herbal medicines because of pregnancy related ailments and normal aliments. Therefore, the study aimed to assess prevalence and factors associated with herbal medicine use among pregnant women attending antenatal care at Wollega University Referral Hospital. Method: A facility based cross sectional study was conducted among pregnant women attending Wollega University Referral Hospital antenatal care from May to June 2018. Written informed consent was obtained from study participants prior to data collection. Univariate and Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with herbal medicine use. Association was significant when p-value is less than 0.05. Result: A total of 238 pregnant mothers were participated in the study. The respondents’ age ranges from 17 to 46 years. The prevalence of herbal medicine use among pregnant women attending antenatal care at Wollega University Referral Hospital was 66.40%. The use of herbal medicine during pregnancy was 3.885 times more likely among rural residents (AOR =3.885, 95% CI 1.121-13.47) than urban residents. Respondents who has monthly income between 1001 to 2000 Ethiopian Birr (AOR=2.585, 95% CI 1.125–5.940) were 2.585 times more likely to use Herbal medicine as compared to those who earn >3000 Ethiopian Birr. However, mothers of planned pregnancy (AOR=0.335, 95% CI 0.114-0.986) were less likely to use Herbal medicine as compared to those who had unplanned pregnancy. Conclusion: The prevalence of herbal medicine use among pregnant women attending antenatal care at Wollega University Referral hospital was 66.40%. Commonly used herbs were Garlic (24.37%) and ginger (18.07%). Rural residence and low income had significantly associated to herbal medicine use while planned pregnancy was inversely associated to herbal medicine use.