The Survey of Medicine, Food Supplement and Herbal Products Used Problems Among Elderly A Case Study at the Community of Tumbon Srisa Chorakhe Noi, Samut Prakan Province

Abstract

The objective of this research was to study the medicine, food supplement, and herbal product usage problems and attitude toward these products among elderly samples (age over 60 years) in Tumbon Srisa Chorakhe Noi. Convenient sampling was performed to obtain 325 population samples. A questionnaire created by researchers and community leaders was used as data collecting tool. Most of the population samples, 75.1 percent have chronic health conditions, 57.4 percent have one chronic health condition. The three most common diseases in Srisa Chorakhe Noi community were hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemias. Health condition was under control at 81.1 percent and the elders at 63.1 percent could manage their own medicines. The population samples, 22.5 percent, had leftover medicines. Only few of them had some medication-related problems, for example, forgetting to take medicines, refilling medicines by themselves, self-adjusting of dose, and sharing medicines with others. 19.1 percent, 14.2 percent, and 62.2 percent of samples used traditional medicines, food supplements and medicinal plants, respectively by the advice of nonhealth team members, such as, family member, neighbors, acquaintances, while the medicinal plant usage was recommended by health center officers and nurses. 7.7 percent of samples informed physicians about traditional medicines and food supplements usage. Elderly population samples in Srisa Chorakhe Noi community have positive attitudes toward health products.