Utilization of complementary and alternative medicine for the prevention of COVID-19 infection in Ghana: A national cross-sectional online survey

Kretchy, Irene A.; Boadu, Joseph A.; Kretchy, James-Paul; Agyabeng, Kofi; Passah, Alfred A.; Koduah, Augustina; Opuni, Kwabena F.M.

doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2021.101633

Cited by 29 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 63 publications

(81 reference statements)

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“…Concerning the socio-demographic characteristics of respondents of this survey ( Table 1 ), the majority of them were women (approximately three quarters), which is consistent with the previous research of phytotherapy use in COVID-19 patients from various regions [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ]. The present study also mainly included respondents with college and university degrees (4.23% and 63.38%, respectively), which is similar to previously reported results [ 19 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. The majority of interviewees were employed, which is consistent with previously conducted studies of phytotherapy and various CAM uses against COVID-19 [ 19 , 20 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ].…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 88%

“…In previously reported studies, it was found that phytotherapy was the most frequent form of therapy (beside the conventional drugs), closely followed by the use of nutritional supplements and vitamins [ 24 , 26 ]. Other results contrast this, reporting vitamin supplements as the most frequent type of therapy [ 21 , 22 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This can potentially be explained by the convenience of preparation, bearing in mind that infusion-type beverages are frequently consumed and readily accepted by users. A study conducted in Ghana, also reported the use of raw herbal material for the preparation of herbal medicines, although finished products were reported as more frequently used [ 21 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Phytotherapy and Dietotherapy of COVID-19—An Online Survey Results from Central Part of Balkan Peninsula

et al. 2022

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Since the appearance of the novel coronavirus disease of 2019—COVID-19, various therapeutic approaches were attempted, with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) taking an important place. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of CAM with the purpose of prevention or treatment of COVID-19 during the pandemics. A prospective, cross-sectional study, in the form of an on-line survey was conducted. A total of 1704 responses were collected. Among the respondents, 2.76% declared currently and 22.12% previously having COVID-19. Approximately one quarter of interviewees (23.24%) declared themselves as phytotherapy users. The most frequently used medicinal plants were garlic, ginger and chamomile. The majority of respondents stated that they expected positive effects on immune and respiratory system. Medicinal plants were frequently used, on a daily basis. The main sources of information for applied self-medication were populistic thematic literature, followed by the Internet. Approximately one-third of phytotherapy users (35.25%) consulted with a medical professional before the application of phytotherapy. Regarding dietotherapy, 41.14% of respondents reported using non-herbal dietary supplements, while only 7.16% reported specific diet. The presented results suggest that CAM is recognized and readily used as a potential alternative and complementary regimen in the fight against COVID-19.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Phytotherapy and Dietotherapy of COVID-19—An Online Survey Results from Central Part of Balkan Peninsula

et al. 2022

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“…For these reasons, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions are being employed as alternative interventions for COVID-19 according to the medical situation of each country. 2 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions for COVID-19: An overview of systematic reviews

Jeon

Kang

Ang

et al. 2022

Integrative Medicine Research

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“…Why do people use TCIM interventions for COVID-19? Disease burden, previous TCIM experience and perception of TCIM efficacy are well-known determinants for the usage of TCIM interventions for disease management ( 78 , 79 ). During the COVID-19 pandemic when some underdeveloped countries experienced shortage of medical resources and restricted access to medical institutions, TCIM interventions tended to be accepted as a panacea, and this kind of attitude is based on health-related beliefs and the desire for self-care to improve immunity from the viral infection with a holistic approach ( 26 , 80 , 81 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

et al. 2022

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BackgroundTraditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) has been reported to use for symptom management of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The objective of this review was to identify the overall usage prevalence of TCIM interventions for COVID-19.MethodsSurveys on the general population and observational studies on the COVID-19 patient chart review were located in the search of PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases in September 2021. Observational studies, such as cross-sectional studies, surveys, cohort studies and hospital-based patient case reviews, published in any language, reporting the usage of TCIM in the patients with COVID-19 or the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic were included in this review. Data screening and extraction were performed independently by two reviewers. The reporting quality of the included studies was assessed with the STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement. To conduct a meta-analysis of the usage prevalence of various TCIM interventions, the effect size of the proportion for each intervention was calculated with the inverse variance method. The main outcome was usage prevalence of TCIM interventions among patients with COVID-19 or the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic.ResultsA total of 62 studies were included in this review. The overall TCIM usage prevalence was estimated to be 0.64 (95% CI 0.54–0.73). The overall prevalence did not differ between the population-based survey (0.65, 95% CI 0.48–0.81) and the hospital-based patient case review (0.63, 95% CI 0.52–0.73). Statistical heterogeneity and comparatively low quality in reporting were observed, which should be cautiously considered when interpreting the results.ConclusionVarious TCIM interventions were reported to be used with comparatively high frequency. Future international collaborative research might overcome the main limitation of this study, i.e., the heterogeneity of the included data.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=278452, identifier: CRD42021278452.

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Utilization of complementary and alternative medicine for the prevention of COVID-19 infection in Ghana: A national cross-sectional online survey

Cited by 29 publications

References 63 publications

Phytotherapy and Dietotherapy of COVID-19—An Online Survey Results from Central Part of Balkan Peninsula

Phytotherapy and Dietotherapy of COVID-19—An Online Survey Results from Central Part of Balkan Peninsula

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions for COVID-19: An overview of systematic reviews

Use of Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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