Prevalence and Public Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Traditional Medicine in Al-Aziziah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Background: For several reasons, the use of traditional medicine (TM) related to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been rising globally. Therefore, the extent to which people are involved in TM/CAM therapies needs regular studies around the world.

Objective: This cross-sectional study aims to estimate prevalence and explore public knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of TM in Al-Aziziah, Riyadh city.

Methods: A self-designed questionnaire was administered to 276 Saudi adults living in Al-Azziziah.

Results: Only 19.9% of participants had used TM during the past 6 months preceding the study. Most of the participants did not seek help from conventional medicine (CM) practitioners for the treatment of their disease. Furthermore, no significant association was found between education and seeking or belief in TM. Most of the responders opined that the traditional remedies have limited use in some diseases.

Conclusion: The findings of this study have important implications for physicians dealing with public beliefs concerning TM and for health planners to adopt strategies to address a growing rise in traditional medicine use by healthcare users in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.