An ethnographic study of acute respiratory infections in four local government areas of Nigeria.

An ethnographic study was conducted in four local government areas of Nigeria. The techniques of informal unstructured interviews and participant observation were used. A total of 104 focus group discussions with 53 groups of mothers, 21 groups of grandmothers, and 30 groups of fathers were conducted. Perception of causes of ARI ranged from cold water, to heredity, poor hygiene, exposure to smoke and dust and the supernatural forces. Preventive measures described were related to the perceived causes. For those groups that discussed home remedies to the treatment of ARI, the remedies described for cough included herbal drinks (39% of groups); honey with lemon (19.5%); eating specific vegetables believed to relieve cough (8.4%); and preparations containing palm oil (21.7%). Remedies described for measles included herbal drinks (62%); local tropical creams (24%); and palm wine (13.7%). Those for ear infections included drops of herbal mixtures in the ear (29.4%); putting various type of oil in the ear (38%); plugging the ear with cotton wool previously dipped in honey, or alcohol (17%). The findings of this study have implications for the Health Education Component of the National ARI Control Programm which Nigeria recently embarked upon. There is also the need for research on the efficacy and any possible adverse effects of identified home remedies.