Use of medicinal plants for COVID-19 prevention and respiratory symptom treatment during the pandemic in Cusco, Peru: A cross-sectional survey.
<h4>Background</h4>The burden of the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru has led to people seeking alternative treatments as preventives and treatment options such as medicinal plants. This study aimed to assess factors associated with the use of medicinal plants as preventive or treatment of resp...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2021-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257165 |
| _version_ | 1818904520095170560 |
|---|---|
| author | Magaly Villena-Tejada Ingrid Vera-Ferchau Anahí Cardona-Rivero Rina Zamalloa-Cornejo Maritza Quispe-Florez Zany Frisancho-Triveño Rosario C Abarca-Meléndez Susan G Alvarez-Sucari Christian R Mejia Jaime A Yañez |
| author_facet | Magaly Villena-Tejada Ingrid Vera-Ferchau Anahí Cardona-Rivero Rina Zamalloa-Cornejo Maritza Quispe-Florez Zany Frisancho-Triveño Rosario C Abarca-Meléndez Susan G Alvarez-Sucari Christian R Mejia Jaime A Yañez |
| author_sort | Magaly Villena-Tejada |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <h4>Background</h4>The burden of the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru has led to people seeking alternative treatments as preventives and treatment options such as medicinal plants. This study aimed to assess factors associated with the use of medicinal plants as preventive or treatment of respiratory symptom related to COVID-19 during the pandemic in Cusco, Peru.<h4>Method</h4>A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted on general public (20- to 70-year-old) from August 31 to September 20, 2020. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire via Google Forms, it consisted of an 11-item questionnaire that was developed and validated by expert judgment using Aiken's V (Aiken's V > 0.9). Both descriptive statistics and bivariate followed by multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess factors associated with the use of medicinal plants for COVID-19 prevention and respiratory symptom treatment during the pandemic. Prevalence ratios (PR) with 95% Confidence Interval (CI), and a P-value of 0.05 was used to determine statistical significance.<h4>Results</h4>A total of 1,747 respondents participated in the study, 80.2% reported that they used medicinal plants as preventives, while 71% reported that they used them to treat respiratory symptoms. At least, 24% of respondents used medicinal plants when presenting with two or more respiratory symptoms, while at least 11% used plants for malaise. For treatment or prevention, the multivariate analysis showed that most respondents used eucalyptus (p < 0.001 for both), ginger (p < 0.022 for both), spiked pepper (p < 0.003 for both), garlic (p = 0.023 for prevention), and chamomile (p = 0.011 for treatment). The respondents with COVID-19 (p < 0.001), at older ages (p = 0.046), and with a family member or friend who had COVID-19 (p < 0.001) used more plants for prevention. However, the respondents with technical or higher education used less plants for treatment (p < 0.001).<h4>Conclusion</h4>There was a significant use of medicinal plants for both prevention and treatment, which was associated with several population characteristics and whether respondents had COVID-19. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T21:08:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-97d6672a392c4ae293ff7d11efbf570b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T21:08:44Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-97d6672a392c4ae293ff7d11efbf570b2022-12-21T20:05:33ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032021-01-01169e025716510.1371/journal.pone.0257165Use of medicinal plants for COVID-19 prevention and respiratory symptom treatment during the pandemic in Cusco, Peru: A cross-sectional survey.Magaly Villena-TejadaIngrid Vera-FerchauAnahí Cardona-RiveroRina Zamalloa-CornejoMaritza Quispe-FlorezZany Frisancho-TriveñoRosario C Abarca-MeléndezSusan G Alvarez-SucariChristian R MejiaJaime A Yañez<h4>Background</h4>The burden of the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru has led to people seeking alternative treatments as preventives and treatment options such as medicinal plants. This study aimed to assess factors associated with the use of medicinal plants as preventive or treatment of respiratory symptom related to COVID-19 during the pandemic in Cusco, Peru.<h4>Method</h4>A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted on general public (20- to 70-year-old) from August 31 to September 20, 2020. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire via Google Forms, it consisted of an 11-item questionnaire that was developed and validated by expert judgment using Aiken's V (Aiken's V > 0.9). Both descriptive statistics and bivariate followed by multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess factors associated with the use of medicinal plants for COVID-19 prevention and respiratory symptom treatment during the pandemic. Prevalence ratios (PR) with 95% Confidence Interval (CI), and a P-value of 0.05 was used to determine statistical significance.<h4>Results</h4>A total of 1,747 respondents participated in the study, 80.2% reported that they used medicinal plants as preventives, while 71% reported that they used them to treat respiratory symptoms. At least, 24% of respondents used medicinal plants when presenting with two or more respiratory symptoms, while at least 11% used plants for malaise. For treatment or prevention, the multivariate analysis showed that most respondents used eucalyptus (p < 0.001 for both), ginger (p < 0.022 for both), spiked pepper (p < 0.003 for both), garlic (p = 0.023 for prevention), and chamomile (p = 0.011 for treatment). The respondents with COVID-19 (p < 0.001), at older ages (p = 0.046), and with a family member or friend who had COVID-19 (p < 0.001) used more plants for prevention. However, the respondents with technical or higher education used less plants for treatment (p < 0.001).<h4>Conclusion</h4>There was a significant use of medicinal plants for both prevention and treatment, which was associated with several population characteristics and whether respondents had COVID-19.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257165 |
| spellingShingle | Magaly Villena-Tejada Ingrid Vera-Ferchau Anahí Cardona-Rivero Rina Zamalloa-Cornejo Maritza Quispe-Florez Zany Frisancho-Triveño Rosario C Abarca-Meléndez Susan G Alvarez-Sucari Christian R Mejia Jaime A Yañez Use of medicinal plants for COVID-19 prevention and respiratory symptom treatment during the pandemic in Cusco, Peru: A cross-sectional survey. PLoS ONE |
| title | Use of medicinal plants for COVID-19 prevention and respiratory symptom treatment during the pandemic in Cusco, Peru: A cross-sectional survey. |
| title_full | Use of medicinal plants for COVID-19 prevention and respiratory symptom treatment during the pandemic in Cusco, Peru: A cross-sectional survey. |
| title_fullStr | Use of medicinal plants for COVID-19 prevention and respiratory symptom treatment during the pandemic in Cusco, Peru: A cross-sectional survey. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Use of medicinal plants for COVID-19 prevention and respiratory symptom treatment during the pandemic in Cusco, Peru: A cross-sectional survey. |
| title_short | Use of medicinal plants for COVID-19 prevention and respiratory symptom treatment during the pandemic in Cusco, Peru: A cross-sectional survey. |
| title_sort | use of medicinal plants for covid 19 prevention and respiratory symptom treatment during the pandemic in cusco peru a cross sectional survey |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257165 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT magalyvillenatejada useofmedicinalplantsforcovid19preventionandrespiratorysymptomtreatmentduringthepandemicincuscoperuacrosssectionalsurvey AT ingridveraferchau useofmedicinalplantsforcovid19preventionandrespiratorysymptomtreatmentduringthepandemicincuscoperuacrosssectionalsurvey AT anahicardonarivero useofmedicinalplantsforcovid19preventionandrespiratorysymptomtreatmentduringthepandemicincuscoperuacrosssectionalsurvey AT rinazamalloacornejo useofmedicinalplantsforcovid19preventionandrespiratorysymptomtreatmentduringthepandemicincuscoperuacrosssectionalsurvey AT maritzaquispeflorez useofmedicinalplantsforcovid19preventionandrespiratorysymptomtreatmentduringthepandemicincuscoperuacrosssectionalsurvey AT zanyfrisanchotriveno useofmedicinalplantsforcovid19preventionandrespiratorysymptomtreatmentduringthepandemicincuscoperuacrosssectionalsurvey AT rosariocabarcamelendez useofmedicinalplantsforcovid19preventionandrespiratorysymptomtreatmentduringthepandemicincuscoperuacrosssectionalsurvey AT susangalvarezsucari useofmedicinalplantsforcovid19preventionandrespiratorysymptomtreatmentduringthepandemicincuscoperuacrosssectionalsurvey AT christianrmejia useofmedicinalplantsforcovid19preventionandrespiratorysymptomtreatmentduringthepandemicincuscoperuacrosssectionalsurvey AT jaimeayanez useofmedicinalplantsforcovid19preventionandrespiratorysymptomtreatmentduringthepandemicincuscoperuacrosssectionalsurvey |