Yousef Abdullah A, Al-Shamrani Abdullah, Alradhi Alzahra Y, Bukhamsen Fatimah M, Alqassab Aqilah T, Kobeisy Sumayyah A, AlHarbi Saleh, AlalKami Halima, Alrashdan Ahmed M
Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Fahd Hospital of the University, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Pediatrics, Prince Sultan Military Medical City (PSMMC), Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Mater Sociomed. 2025;37(1):18-23. doi: 10.5455/msm.2025.37.18-23.
Herbal medicinal products, a subgroup of complementary and alternative therapy (CAM), are widely used for pediatric respiratory symptoms in Saudi Arabia. However, regional variations and safety concerns remain understudied.
This study examines the prevalence and patterns of herbal remedy use for cough and respiratory illness among Saudi children.
A multi-center cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted across five Saudi regions (N=475). Data were collected via a validated questionnaire (Cronbach's α = 0.85) and analyzed using SPSS v25.
The mean age was 3.97 ± 3.60 years. Herbal remedy use was highest in the Western province (37.8%, p <0.001). Sesame oil (19.8%) and olive oil (18.2%) were most common. Family/friends provided 82.8% of advice. Self-rated improvement was "excellent/good" in 59.9%, with 96.6% reporting no adverse effects. Fathers with postgraduate degrees used fewer herbal remedies (p=0.003).
Herbal remedy use is prevalent, emphasizing the need for healthcare providers to document usage and educate families. Further research is required to evaluate efficacy and safety.
草药产品作为补充和替代疗法（CAM）的一个子类别，在沙特阿拉伯被广泛用于治疗儿童呼吸道症状。然而，地区差异和安全性问题仍未得到充分研究。
本研究调查沙特儿童使用草药治疗咳嗽和呼吸道疾病的患病率及模式。
在沙特的五个地区开展了一项基于问卷的多中心横断面研究（N = 475）。通过一份经过验证的问卷（Cronbach's α = 0.85）收集数据，并使用SPSS v25进行分析。
平均年龄为3.97 ± 3.60岁。西部地区使用草药治疗的比例最高（37.8%，p <0.001）。芝麻油（19.8%）和橄榄油（18.2%）最为常用。82.8%的用药建议来自家人/朋友。59.9%的人自评改善情况为“优秀/良好”，96.6%的人报告无不良反应。拥有研究生学历的父亲使用的草药较少（p = 0.003）。
草药的使用很普遍，这凸显了医疗服务提供者记录用药情况并对家庭进行教育的必要性。需要进一步研究以评估其疗效和安全性。
