KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOR TOWARD TRADITIONAL HOUSEHOLD DRUGS IN POPULATION 15-29 YEAR OLD, PHATHUMTHANI PROVINCE THAILAND

Abstract

Currently, the Thai government has been promoting the use of traditional Thai household drugs to create value-added herb products. This quantitative research study aimed to explore knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding traditional household drugs and the relationship between knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors in their usage. Data were collected using survey questionnaires from 400 individuals aged 19-25 years. Selected through a Multi-Stage Sampling process. Statistical analysis involved percentage, mean, standard deviation (SD), and Spearman's correlation.

            The results showed that the sample had an average age of 21.31 years, with 57.25% females (229 people) and 42.75% males (171 people). Their knowledge and attitudes about Thai traditional medicine were at high and medium levels, respectively, while their behavior in using traditional household drugs was at a low level. Relationships between knowledge and attitudes about traditional household drugs, and between knowledge and behavior in using traditional household drugs, were found to have a statistically significant relationship at the 0.05 level. Regarding Thai traditional drug use behavior, it was found that 61.50% (246 people) of respondents chose to consult a doctor for diagnosis or treatment most frequently, while only 2.75% (11 people) opted for self-herbal medication, indicating a low level of agreement with the use of traditional drugs, which was in line with the research result indicating low behavior of using traditional drugs. Therefore, promoting the use of traditional household drugs should be extended from the family to the community level in order to improve the quality standards of Thai herbal products and increase the value of Thai herb products.