Utilization of Traditional Medicines for Pediatric Care Among Households in The Fifth District of Camarines Sur

Abstract

Traditional medicines remain moderately utilized among households, underscoring the importance of educating the community on their appropriate use and fostering a balanced understanding of both their potential benefits and limitations. This quantitative, descriptive-correlational study with causation design assessed the utilization of traditional medicines for pediatric care among households in the fifth district of Camarines Sur. Utilizing a descriptive correlational design, data were gathered through questionnaires and analyzed using percentage techniques, weighted means, and Chi-square tests of independence.

The study found that most of the respondents were belonged to the age group 25-34; majority were females and most were college graduate. Majority reported a family income of Php 10, 957- Php 21, 914 with number of children 1-3. Moreover, the predominant religion was Roman Catholic, and most were professionals. Traditional medicines are moderately utilized for pediatric care. Families continue to favor accessible and culturally accepted practices such as herbal medicine, hilot, and pilgrimages and healing masses, indicating that these remain deeply rooted in the community's healthcare practices while exorcism, anito rituals, anting-anting, tayhup, and pagtatawas, are now rarely used. Traditional medicines are most often applied only when a child is sick and seasonal and occasional uses also persist, suggesting that traditional medicine is often tied to illness patterns, cultural timing, and specific symptoms rather than habitual use. It is mainly utilized for common, mild, and frequently occurring conditions such as cough, colds, fever, headache, abdominal pain, and vomiting while limited reliance on traditional medicine for more serious or high-risk conditions including shortness of breath, malnutrition, helminthiasis, diarrhea, and dengue fever indicating that caregivers are more cautious and tend to seek formal medical care when illnesses become severe or life-threatening.

Both intrinsic and extrinsic factors significantly influence the utilization of traditional medicines for pediatric care. For intrinsic

factors, family health practices, cultural beliefs, and personal experiences with both traditional healing and religious or spiritual practices play the most influential roles, while for extrinsic factors the cost of modern healthcare and the accessibility of health facilities greatly influence families’ reliance on traditional practices. For the types of pediatric illnesses treated, age, sex, education, number of children, and occupation again show significant relationships, meaning that parents profile influence the kinds of illnesses they choose to manage through traditional methods. In contrast, family monthly income and religion do not significantly affect the types of illnesses treated with traditional medicine. The study develops an educational material for traditional medicines among households in the fifth district of Camarines Sur.