Complementary Alternative Medicine in Western Jamaica

In the mid to late 1990s, there was an observed increase in the use of alternative medicine, specifically herbal remedies, in Jamaica. In 2009, a study showed that adherence to prescription medications for chronic diseases is the lowest for those living in the West Indies. In 2017, a study conducted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham in Western Jamaica concluded that 72.6% of the participants used herbal medicine for treating ailments and health maintenance. Also, the prevalence of complementary alternative medicine (CAM) use among patients with both hypertension (HTN) and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (Type 2 DM) was 79% and 65%, respectively.

The objectives of this study are (1) to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare providers (HCP) regarding alternative treatment use for HTN and Type 2 DM patients in Western Jamaica and (2) to determine healthcare providers’ perceptions of the need for inclusion of information on alternative medicine in curricula during training. The current study is a multi-center cross-sectional study that included 600 healthcare providers (clinicians, family nurse practitioners, nurses, dietitians, and nutritionists), who worked in both private and public sector clinics that care for noncommunicable disease patients with HTN or Type 2 DM in the four parishes under the Western Regional Health Authority.

Based on the results of the study, the most common herbs HCPs have heard patients mention use for HTN and/or Type 2 DM are listed below. They are commonly consumed as teas:

1. Guinea Hen Weed (Anamu tea)

2. Garlic

3. Ginger

4. Lime

5. Moringa (Drumstick tree)

6. Soursop Leaf (Guanabana Graviola)

7. Cerasee (The stem of the Bitter Melon-Momordica Charanta fruit)

Results indicated that more than half (52%) of HCPs did not receive training or information regarding the use of alternative medicine and therapies to treat chronic conditions. Dietitians and nutritionists had 4.56 higher odds of personal use of CAM.

Overwhelmingly, HCPs will not recommend patients to a traditional herbalist. If a patient has Type 2 Diabetes, HCPs are more likely to recommend the use of common alternative therapies. However, if a patient has hypertension, HCPs are less likely to recommend the use of common alternative therapies. Overall, most HCPs agree that herbal medicines/alternative treatments education should be incorporated into medical, nursing, and nutrition curricula.

These results indicate a trend towards a new perspective for effective treatment in the Western Jamaican population as well as a willingness to include complementary alternative medicine in the curricula. Suggested method of action: individuals must disclose the use of CAM with their HCP and receive approval for use.

Reference

Kwak, G., Gardner, K., Bolaji, B., Franklin, S., Aung, M., & Jolly, P. E. (2021). Knowledge, attitudes and practices among healthcare professionals regarding complementary alternative medicine use by patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus in Western Jamaica. Complementary therapies in medicine, 57, 102666.