A study on the awareness and practice of modern and traditional methods for treatment of jaundice in an urban slum of Jorhat town, Assam
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20190608Keywords:
Slum, Jaundice, Traditional, Modern, TreatmentAbstract
Background: Jaundice is a term use for the condition in which yellow colouration of the skin and the sclera occurs and is caused by a raised level of bilirubin. There are a number of herbal medicines or self-remedy medications widely in use among the people especially in the rural areas and suburbs. Various study showed that people have also switched over to modern methods of treatment. The purpose of the study is to assess the awareness of people towards Jaundice and the methods of treatment they preferred and practiced.
Methods: The study was a community based cross-sectional study which was conducted amongst the people of an urban slum of Jorhat district of Assam, over a period of three months. A sample of 156 study participants of age group (21-60) was taken. Data were collected using a pre-designed and pre-tested proforma. MS excel and SPSS version-23were used to analyze the data.
Results: Majority (88.4%) of the study participants were aware of Jaundice while amongst them (89.6%) respondents were in the age group of (21-30) years. (56.5%) study subjects were aware of traditional methods of treatment whereas only (5.1%) were aware of modern methods. However (36.9%) were aware of both traditional and modern methods. (74.6%) preferred as well as practiced traditional methods of treatment .Majority of respondents 56 (54.4%) had influence of society for practicing traditional methods for treatment of Jaundice followed by belief 32 (31.1%).
Conclusions: Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) and Information Education Communication (IEC) activities regarding Jaundice should be promoted.
References
Bora A, Devi P, Borthakur SK. Phyto-remedies of Jaundice, a traditional approach on Majuli, Special reference to Satra culture people, Assam. Asian J Plant Sci Res. 2012;2(6):664-9.
Rajudurai M. Ethnomedicinal plants used by the traditional healers of Pachamalai Hills, Tamilnadu, India. Studies of Ethno-Medicine. 2009;3(1):39-41.
Ganesan S. Ethnomedicinal survey of lower Palmi Hills of Tamilnadu. Indian J Traditional Knowledge. 2004;(3):299-304.
Nath N, Borthakur, SK, Deka K. Some traditional Health Care Practices of Jaundice in parts of Western Assam (North East India). Int J Applied Biol Pharm Tech. 2013;4:333-9.
Arzumanyan A. Pathogenic mechanisms in HBV and HCV associated hepatocellular carcinoma. Nature Reviews Cancer. 2013;13:123-35.
Chandrakumar A, Xavier A, Xavier A, Manakkadiyil A, Reghu A, Thomas L. Implications of traditional medicine in the treatment of Hepatitis A in Kerala. J Tradition Complementary Med. 2016;6(3):316-20.
Alemu SF, Derbew B, Palani S, Joseph NM. Knowledge, attitude and perception towards Jaundice among Ayder Referral hospital worker. Int res J Pharm. 2011;2(12):191-5.
Karmakar P, Islam Mazharul M, Kibria G, Hossain Salim M, Sattar M. Prevalance, belief and awareness of preferring traditional health care system in urban and rural people of Noakhali district, Bangladesh. Int Current Pharm J. 2012;1(9):229-34.
Bhuyan A, Ethnomedicinal plant used by the Sonowal Kacharis of Dibrugarh District, Assam. Int J Applied Res. 2015;1(9):87-90.
