Preference for Traditional Medical Care to Orthodox Medical Care Among Secondary School Students in Rural Area of Nigeria

Abstract

Most rural dwellers of developing countries often patronise unstandardized traditional medical care when they are ill. The study determined the reasons for preference of trado- medical care to standard orthodox medicine among secondary school students in Nigeria. A cross sectional study was carried out in three secondary schools located at Imesi-Ile, Osun State Nigeria. Respondents were recruited by multistage sampling technique. Fifty students each were selected from final year Junior Secondary School class, senior secondary classes 1 and 2 without gender bias. Pre-tested semi- structured questionnaires were employed to elicit data on their choice of preference for traditional medicine to orthodox medic-care. The results were analysed using SPSS version 20. Most respondents were females, 77 (51.3%). About 113 (75.3%) reported that they preferred traditional care to orthodox treatment because the later was too expensive for them to afford. About 108 (72%) adopted traditional medicine because of parents’ choice. Those who reported easy accessibility to traditional medicine as a choice for its preference were 85 (56.6%), while 78 (52%) believed that traditional medicines cure faster than orthodox, others reported they have been using traditional medicine from childhood (60.7%), and for some traditional medicine was preferred due to their friend’s choice (54.0%). Most youths preferred trado-medical care due to high cost of orthodox medicine and wrong perceptions. Proper education to correct wrong notions among youths and improving the economic power of the people will help the community.