Traditional Medicine and Modern Medicine: Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Medical Students and Their Mothers in Tabuk City, Saudi Arabia

Background: Traditional remedies are mostly used as auto-medications for the treatment of physical diseases not only in Saudi Arabia but also worldwide. The traditional preparations are also prescribed by practitioners to patients who seek their consultation.

Objective: The objective of this descriptive, cross-sectional study was to assess knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of medical students and their mothers towards traditional medicine (TM) and modern medicine (MM) in Tabuk city.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of purposefully selected University Preparatory Program (UPP) students (n=147) for health specialties and their mothers (n=61) was conducted to examine their KAP of TM and MM at the University of Tabuk and mothers' homes. A self-designed, self-administered questionnaire with 10-item to be answered mostly by "yes" or "no" was used in this research.

Results: There were no significant differences in knowledge between students and their mothers concerning TM safety, efficacy, rapid cure, cost, and use in various mild diseases and cosmetic conditions. However, mothers' practice of TM differed significantly in regards to self-use of herbal medicines for skin diseases. Mother's attitude that TM is a primitive mode of treatment significantly differed from the views of medical students.

Conclusion: The preliminary findings of this survey suggest that the participants differentially preferred the use of both TM and MM in the treatment of various physical conditions as well as for cosmetic purposes. Further research is needed to comparatively explore medical student and mother KAP of TM and MM in Saudi Arabia.