Wongtaweepkij Kamonphat, Srinonghang Satchawit, Youngpattana Wiriya, Summa Krittin, Papenkort Sonthiya, Cox Anthony R, Jarernsiripornkul Narumol
Division of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Srinakharinwirot University, Nakhon Nayok, Thailand.
Division of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, 123 Moo 16 Mittraphap Rd., Nai-Muang, Muang District, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.
BMC Complement Med Ther. 2025 Jul 3;25(1):226. doi: 10.1186/s12906-025-04971-2.
Herbs and dietary supplement (HDS) use has become increasingly used among the Thai population due to greater health awareness and easier product access. However, research on adverse events from HDS and information needs relating to HDS among the Thai population is limited. This study aims to explore use, adverse experiences, self-assessed knowledge and perspectives on HDS among the general public in Thailand.
A cross-sectional self-administered survey in the general public conducted in 6 public areas in a large city of northeastern Thailand, over 5-month period. It explored experiences relating to use and adverse effects of HDS. Knowledge and information needs relating to HDS were self-assessed by using a visual analog scale and closed questions. The perspectives on HDS were determined using the 5 point-Likert scales for degree of agreement. Participants were selected by purposive sampling.
Of the 1,064 questionnaires distributed, 540 (51.0%) respondents reported using herbal and dietary supplements (HDS). Among them, 363 (67.2%) used herbs, and 423 (78.3%) used dietary supplements, with 40.3% using these products infrequently in the past six months. Common herbs included andrographis (25.3%), turmeric (21.2%), and senna (6.9%), while vitamin C (41.8%), collagen (11.8%), and vitamin B complex (9.0%) were the most frequently used dietary supplements. Adverse effects were reported by 42 respondents, primarily associated with turmeric (25.0%) and vitamin C (31.8%), with most rating the severity as mild (76.2%). Self-assessed knowledge about HDS use and adverse effects was moderate, with a significant demand for information on interactions with medications (59.3%), adverse effects (57.0%), and actions to take if adverse effects occur (52.8%). Higher education levels correlated with increased in knowledge about HDS use and adverse effects (p = 0.007 and p = 0.001, respectively).
Approximately half of the general public in Thailand use HDS, with a small number of reporting adverse events, primarily mild gastrointestinal effects. The public has a moderate level of knowledge about the use and adverse effects of HDS, but there is a need for improved safety knowledge relating to HDS.
由于健康意识的提高和产品获取的便利性增加，草药和膳食补充剂（HDS）在泰国人群中的使用越来越普遍。然而，关于泰国人群中HDS不良事件及相关信息需求的研究有限。本研究旨在探讨泰国普通公众对HDS的使用情况、不良经历、自我评估的知识以及看法。
在泰国东北部一个大城市的6个公共场所进行了为期5个月的横断面自填式公众调查。该调查探讨了与HDS使用和不良反应相关的经历。通过视觉模拟量表和封闭式问题对与HDS相关的知识和信息需求进行自我评估。使用5点李克特量表确定对HDS的看法，以评估同意程度。参与者通过目的抽样选取。
在分发的1064份问卷中，540名（51.0%）受访者报告使用过草药和膳食补充剂（HDS）。其中，363名（67.2%）使用过草药，423名（78.3%）使用过膳食补充剂，40.3%的人在过去六个月中很少使用这些产品。常见的草药包括穿心莲（25.3%）、姜黄（21.2%）和番泻叶（6.9%），而维生素C（41.8%）、胶原蛋白（11.8%）和复合维生素B（9.0%）是最常用的膳食补充剂。42名受访者报告了不良反应，主要与姜黄（25.0%）和维生素C（31.8%）有关，大多数人将严重程度评为轻度（76.2%）。对HDS使用和不良反应的自我评估知识中等，对药物相互作用（59.3%）、不良反应（57.0%）以及不良反应发生时应采取的措施（52.8%）的信息需求显著。较高的教育水平与HDS使用和不良反应知识的增加相关（分别为p = 0.007和p = 0.001）。
泰国约一半的普通公众使用HDS，少数人报告了不良事件，主要是轻度胃肠道反应。公众对HDS的使用和不良反应有中等程度的了解，但需要提高与HDS相关的安全知识。
