A study of elementary school pupils using traditional herbal medicines

Ahn, Young Joon

Abstract

PURPOSE: Traditional herbal medicines may be overused in Korea. Expenditures and inaccuracies of hospital prescription are increasing gradually. So we investigated the frequency and nature of herbal medicine use among elementary school pupils.
METHODS
We interviewed students of three elementary schools located in Gwangju with survey papers. We analyzed 905 returned surveys.
RESULTS
They consisted of 421 males and 484 females. Five hundred ninety (65.2 percent) of pupils who have taken herbal medicines since birth. First grade made up 74.1 percent, 2nd grade 63.0 percent, 3rd grade 64.8 percent, 4th grade 63.3 percent, 5th grade 65.5 percent, and sixth grade 61.9 percent, respectively. The mean frequency of herbal medicine use was 3.2 times. 6th grade was 3.3 times, 5th grade 3.9 times, 4th grade 3.7 times, 3rd grade 2.7 times, 2nd grade 2.7 times, and 1st grade 2.6 times, respectively. The mean cost of herbal medicine use was from 50,00-100,000 won. The mean age of pupils who took their 1st herbal medicine was 55 months, 6th grade 67 months, 5th grade 58 months, 4th grade 54 months, 3rd grade 55 months, 2nd grade 51 months, and 1st grade 47 months. The most common reason of herbal medicine use was "looking weak, without disease." The rate of elementary pupils who had good effects was 63.7 percent; the rate of side effects was 4.5 percent.
CONCLUSIONS
The rate of elementary pupils who took herbal medicines was high and gradually higher in lower grades. So, clinicians have to cope directly with this situation and to educate parents about herbal medicines.