The study by Khoury et al. (2015) investigated the knowledge, attitude, and usage of herbal products and dietary supplements (HP/DS) among the Lebanese people. In their study, Khoury et al. (2015) sought to examine factors that determine HP/DS usage among the adults in Lebanon. Moreover, the study aimed to investigate the HP/DS consumers' potential interactions, knowledge, attitudes, and concerns about the products' safety and efficacy (Khoury et al., 2015). The study used a quantitative research design and a 28-item assessment questionnaire to investigate the HP/DS knowledge and attitude of 726 Lebanese adult participants recruited from various pharmacies across Lebanon. The questionnaires were administered face-to-face since the investigators needed to determine and evaluate the participant's Inter-observer reliability and the clarity of the assessment queries.
The study results showed that 35% of the participants were using at least one HP/DS during the survey. Furthermore, the study revealed that 23% of the participants consumed dietary supplements, while 18% used herbal products. The survey identified drug-supplement, disease-supplement, and supplement-supplement safety concerns among consumers (Khoury et al., 2015). The survey used a multivariate regression analysis that showed HP/DS's use was prevalent among aging females who received recommendations to use HP/DS by friends and not healthcare professionals (Khoury et al., 2015). Additionally, the investigation revealed that HP/DS users falsely believed that herbal products and dietary supplements did not pose any risk to their health. Otherwise, their country, Lebanon, would not allow the sale of HP/DS (Khoury et al., 2015). The study's findings are significant and reliable since the survey was conducted ethically, and the questionnaires were administered face-to-face to ensure the participants understood the assessment questions and provided reliable answers.
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While the study recommends that patients be advised that not all HP/DS are beneficial due to their side effects, I question their legitimate and free availability in most Lebanon pharmacies. This study highlights the ignorance of most HP/DS consumers. Therefore, I intend to use information from this study to educate HP/DS consumers on the efficacy and safety of HP/DS.
Reference
El Khoury, G., Ramadan, W., & Zeeni, N. (2015). Herbal products and dietary supplements: A cross-sectional survey of use, attitudes, and knowledge among the Lebanese population. Journal of Community Health, 41 (3), 566-573. doi: 10.1007/s10900-015-0131-0
