Prevalence of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy and factors associated with herbal medicine use for alleviating symptoms: A Cross-Sectional study at Mnazi Mmoja Hospital Dar es Salaam Tanzania

Abstract

Background: Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy (NVP) is the most common medical condition in pregnancy with a varying prevalence between countries. Although prescribed anti-emetics are used, the use of non-prescribed herbal medicines for NVP has been reported to be high especially in low resource areas like Africa. Studying the local prevalence of the condition, describing the herbal medicines used and the factors associated with their use may be an important step towards the management of the problem for better pregnancy outcomes. Aim of the Study: The study aims at determining the prevalence of NVP and herbal use, describe herbal medicines used and determine potential factors associated with the use of herbal medicines for NVP. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 415 women attending ANC at Mnazi Mmoja hospital, Dar es Salaam. A structured interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and previous and current pregnancy information on women’s experience of NVP. Data were analyzed using SPSS, statistical software version 23. Descriptive statistics was done and Chi square test and Poisson multivariate regression analysis were done to identify factors associated with herbal use, with a p-value <0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: The prevalence of NVP was 82.89 %( 344/415). The proportion of herbal medicine use for alleviating NVP was 47.97% (162/344) (95% CI 46.6 – 57.42%). Lemon, raw mangoes and tamarind were the most used herbs. Mild NVP (aPR=1.5, 95% CI=1.07 – 2.09) and previous use of herbal medicine for NVP (aPR=3.14, 95% CI=1.69 – 6.3) were independently associated with increased use of herbal medicines for NVP. Conclusion: Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy is high in Dar es Salaam like in many other parts of the world. Almost half of pregnant women use commonly available food substances as herbal medicines for NVP relief. Mild NVP and previous use of herbal medicines for NVP are significantly associated with increased herbal use for NVP. However, Dar es Salaam is an urban setting with a diverse socio-cultural profile. A study in less diverse settings like districts may be done to identify areas with common use of harmful substances like soil that was reported to a negligible degree in this study, so that relevant interventions may be done.