Problem Statement/ Research

Problem Statement:

The use of traditional medicine as an alternative for Modern

Medicine and its impact on the healthcare of the middle age
population of Prospect, St. Thomas.

Hypothesis:

The use of traditional medicine as an alternative for prescription

drug has improved the healthcare of the middle age population of
Prospect, St. Thomas

Research questions:

1.Why is traditional medicine being used as an alternative for

modern medicine?
2. How does the use of traditional medicine as an alternative for
modern medicine impact on the healthcare of the middle age
population of Prospect, St. Thomas?
3. What steps can be taken to ensure the use of traditional medicine
as an alternative for modern medicine improves the healthcare of
the middle age population of Prospect, St. Thomas?

Introduction
Purpose of research
In the community of Prospect, St. Thomas which as a middle age population of over 350,
the use of Traditional medicine as an alternative for Modern medicine has been observed among
the middle age population. The purpose of this research is to investigate why Traditional
medicine is being used as an alternative for modern medicine by the middle age population. To
identify the impact of traditional medicine on their healthcare and also to identify how it can be
ensured that the use of traditional medicine improves their healthcare.
Statement of Problem
In carrying out this research, the researcher formulated a problem statement to target the
areas being researched. The problem statement is as follows: The use of Traditional medicine as
an alternative for Modern medicine and the impact it has on the middle age population of
Prospect, St. Thomas.
The problem statement was further broken down into three research questions; Why is
traditional medicine being used as an alternative for modern medicine, How does the use of
traditional medicine as an alternative for modern medicine impact on the healthcare of the
middle age population of Prospect, St. Thomas and What steps can be taken to ensure the use of
traditional medicine as an alternative for modern medicine improves the healthcare of the middle
age population.

Educational Value
This research carries numerous benefits as it will increase the researchers knowledge of
Traditional and Modern medicine and it will also give an insight into persons views on these
forms of medicine. It is beneficial to others who plan to carry out a similar research as they can
use this research as a guide and also gain useful information from it. Most importantly it is
educationally beneficial as it is a requirement of Caribbean Studies Cape Examination. Carrying
out this research properly would reward me with a good grade, thus increasing my chance of
receiving a grade one in the Caribbean Studies Examination.
Definition of Key terms
Middle age The term refers to persons who fall in the thirty to fifty age groups.
Traditional medicine-This refers to the use of remedies, herbs and other natural
substances to cure, prevent or keep illnesses that cannot be cured under control.
Modern medicine- This refers to pharmaceuticals or in other words prescription drugs.

Literature Review
The use of Traditional medicine as an alternative for Modern medicine has been a
burning issue in the past leading up to the previous years. According to the Book written by J.
Simpson (2004) Traditional-medicine has been passed down from generations to generations
mainly by people of African descendants and it is evident in the Caribbean as they had refused
prescription drugs over the years due to a fear of European physicians that existed over the years.
The researcher shares a similar view as it was observed that the use of traditional medicine is a
cultural practice in the Caribbean which as existed over the years. On the other hand the Journal
written Clement,(2005) studies show that the use of traditional medicine as an alternative for
modern medicine as derived as people are searching for an all natural way to cure illnesses and
are trying to avoid the side effects of prescription drugs. The researcher supports this view as it is
evident, that over the years a great majority of Caribbean people has given into the influence of
western society, one of those influences is prescription drugs. After the danger and harm of this
form of medicine has been identified. People are now moving away from it trying to find a safer
alternative such as herbal medicine.
The impact of Traditional medicine as an alternative for modern medicine is where the
real speculations has being surrounded as Clement (2005) studies in Trinidad shows that herbal
medicine as had a great impact on the doctor-patient relationship as patients self medicate
themselves affecting the overall quality of healthcare delivery, but the study has also shown that
it also has a positive impact as it has been used to relief asthma and therapeutic management of
diabetes and also to cure many other illness such as the common cold.

However the Article written by Plunkett,(2003) viewed the impact of the use of
traditional medicine as a medium for false practitioners to try and distribute herbal medicine and
remedies in order to get money from the public or simply just to pretend to be something they
are not. The researcher disagrees with this view as persons also display false identity and
distribute prescription drugs to the public so this could occur in any situation not only in the case
of herbal medicine. It is just the responsibility of the public to be careful.
Traditional medicine can be used to improve the healthcare is a view expressed in the
Video of Douillard, (2008) as his study and experience as a doctor shows that herbs works along
with the body helping it to heal itself while prescription drugs is quick self reliant and poses a lot
of treats, while herbs help your body to restore itself in a natural way, without he treats of side
effects, giving the bodys immune system a chance to build up improving your health state and
resistance. Even though herbal medicine is seen as improvement by Douillard, (2008)
prescription drug is recommended as a life saves or as a means of fast results. However he
believes for best results a doctor should be consulted before using herbal medicine.
This view is partially supported by the Internet source written by C.J Anderson and J.
Roach .It is expressed that herbal medicine can also be harmful and that the best steps to be taken
is to gain advice from herbal practitioners and your medical doctor on what is the best option for
you, in order to maximise the benefits from herbal medicine and also to utilize it in such a way
that it is beneficial to your healthcare. This study also shows that most of the persons who utilize
herbal medicine are young adults. This is fully supported by the researcher as it is evident in
observations.

Data Collection
In the process of collecting data for this research on the use of Traditional medicine as an
alternative for Modern medicine and its impact on the healthcare of the middle age population of
Prospect, St. Thomas, a qualitative technique of collecting data was used. Data was obtained
from both primary sources and secondary sources.
The journal Complementary and Alternative Medicine was one of the primary sources
used. This journal entailed a research that was previously carried out on the up rise in the use of
herbal remedies set to continue a pace in the foreseeable future. The method for collecting
information was a questionnaire which was distributed at six public hospitals in Trinidad to
various physicians in order to gain their response. This provide great incite to persons views on
the impact of herbal medicine on healthcare as 60.4% of the 192 physicians believed that herbal
medicine is beneficial to the healthcare and even admitted to using it themselves.
The video Medical vs. Alternative when to choose was also cited as a literature as it
provided gainful material from a doctors perspective on why traditional medicine is being used
as an alternative for modern medicine and its impact on healthcare. It proclaims herbal medicine
helps the body to heal itself while prescription drug gets the job down. It also gave instances in
which each medicine is suitable for usage.
Another literature in which information on Traditional medicine as an alternative for
prescription drug was obtained from was an article in the Jamaican Gleaner which indicated that
there as being a growing demand for alternative medicine with herbal medicine being the most
popular alternative. The article states that claims on its ability to cure illnesses and diseases may
have contributed to the growing increase in the number of persons using herbal medicine. This
6

provided useful information as it gave a different view on why the use of traditional medicine as
increased, thus challenging the claims of other literatures used.
The Encyclopaedia of Medical Anthropology in world culture also provided useful
information as it viewed the use of traditional medicine as an existing cultural practice which
was passed down from generation to generation that still exist today due to a fear of western
medicine and life style adding a new view of the use of traditional as the researcher nor other
literatures used, did not look at the use of traditional medicine in this way, thus expanding the
findings of this research.
The internet source Herbals for health provided information on how traditional medicine
can be used to improve the healthcare. It proclaims that herbal medicine is mostly used by young
adults and provided ways in which this form of medicine can be used to improve the healthcare.
This was proven to be very beneficial as finding ways of how the use of traditional medicine can
be used to improve the healthcare is the solution to the research.
A questionnaire was distributed to gain responses on the sample being researched. In
selecting the sample a purposive method of sampling was used. This type of sampling allows the
researcher to have more control over the responses collected as a suitable sample can be chosen,
as persons who fit the criteria for the research can be selected. In this research the sample
population had to meet the criteria of belonging to the middle age population (30-50) of the
community of Prospect, St. Thomas. This questionnaire consist of fourteen questions, three
background questions , four questions related to the cause of the problem , four to the impact of
the problem on the middle age population of Prospect, St. Thomas and three on how the problem
can be resolved.

Presentation of Data
Figure1: A Pictogram showing the age of the respondents.

KEY
One
Responden
t
AGE
30-35
36-40

41-45

46-50

RESPONDENTS

Figure2: A Histogram representing the preferred form of medicine used by the respondents

Types of Medicine
7
6
5
4
3
2

No. of Respondents

Herbal Medicine

Forms of Medicine

Figure 3: A pie chart showing the responses of the respondents to why traditional medicine is
being used as an alternative for prescription drugs by the middle age population of Prospect,
St.Thomas.

Why Herbal Medicine is Being used as an alternative for Prescription Drug

Less Expensive
the Dangers of Prescription
Drug
Herbal Medicine is more
effective
It is Natural
All of the above

10

Figure4: A histogram representing the responses to the impact of the use of Traditional medicine
as an alternative for Prescription Drugs

The impact of Traditional Medicine

9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

11

it gets rid of illnesses 2

Figure5: A table showing the chosen responses of the respondent to how it can be ensured that
the use of herbal medicine improves the healthcare.
Responses

The
Introduction of
Herbal Doctors

No. of
Respondent
s

Tally

12

|||||

Recommended
Dosage
5

||||

Advising to
Other
consult a doctor
3

|||

Analysis of Data

The use of traditional medicine as an alternative for prescription drug and its impact on
the healthcare of the middle age population of Prospect, St. Thomas was presented and then
analysed. In the Data presented as shown in figure1 with the bar graph it was discovered that six
out of fifteen of the respondents were in the thirty to thirty five age group, four in the thirty six to
forty, two in the forty one to forty five and three in the forty six to fifty.
Information on the type of medicine mainly used was also obtained from the respondent.
As shown in figure 2 six of the fifteen respondents mainly use Prescription drug while another
six use both prescription drugs and herbal medicine. Leaving herbal medicine to be the most
underutilized as only three respondents use it. In analysing this data it was observed that majority
of the middle age population are still using prescription drug but the use of herbal medicine is
still prevalent. This may be observed to be so as the sample chosen may have only being of
persons who mainly use prescription drug, were as the wider population mainly uses herbal
medicine. These results may also be of this nature as most of the respondents are between the
ages of thirty to forty and are still relatively young and may still be experimenting with
prescription drug or may have never being exposed to herbal medicine.
In presenting the data for why traditional medicine is being used as an alternative for
prescription drug a pie chart was used as shown in figure 3. It was revealed that 16.6% of the
respondents believe traditional medicine is being used as an alternative for prescription drug
because it is less expensive 25% believe it is being used as an alternative because of the dangers
of prescription drug, 16.6% believe it is because herbal medicine is more effective, 25% because
13

it is natural and 33.3% believe all of the above were possible reasons. These result may have
being of this nature because of these reasons. The respondents who choose traditional medicine
are less expensive as their valid response. Themselves may be using herbal medicine because
they deem it to be less expensive and are having financial difficulties , or they may have chosen
this response from an over looking perspective as they may know persons who suffer from
financial constrains and seek herbal medicine as the cheaper way out. The 25% who choose their
response to be because of the dangers of herbal medicine may have resulted from pass
experience with herbal medicine or know instances of tragic mishaps due to the use of
prescription drug. The 16.66% that account for herbal medicine being more effective may have
being those who use it as their chosen choice of medicine. An also 25% chose the answer which
the researcher believe was going to be the most popular chosen response but as shown in figure
three all of the above was the answer chosen by a great amount of the majority identifying that a
lot of the respondents believe all the responses given to chose from were viable.
The Bar graph shown in figure4 was also done to represent the data on the impact of
traditional medicine as an alternative for modern medicine on the healthcare of the middle age
population. Eight out of the fifteen respondents chose that it gets rid of illnesses as their
response, this may have been from personal experience, things they have heard of or it might
have been seen as the most logical reason ,three chose it causes an allergic reaction and four
chose it causes further complication. This response might have being chosen because of misuse
of traditional medicine.
The data for the solution to the problem was placed in a table as shown in figure5. Six out
of fifteen of the respondents chose the introduction of more herbal doctors as their response to
how it can be ensured that the use of herbal medicine improves the healthcare. They may have
14

chosen this response because they see the need for someone who can provide guidelines to how
to use herbal medicine or to determine which type of herbal medicine is needed for the diagnosed
illness. Five saw recommended dosage as the resolution to the problem; this may be chosen as a
mean of prohibiting estimated use of herbal medicine as it can be dangerous to health, three
respondents chose seeking advice from a doctor and one had a different response from the
choices given. This response was to hand out flyers to make persons aware of the dangers and
advantages of herbal medicine in an effort to ensure the use of herbal medicine improves the
healthcare.

15

Discussion of Findings

The main aim of this research was to find out why traditional medicine is being
used as an alternative for prescription drug and its impact on the healthcare of the middle
age population of Prospect, St. Thomas. In analysing the data similar views of the book
written by J. Simpson was share by the respondents. This was observed as J. Simpson
believed the use of herbal medicine was passed down from generation to generation and
this same view was shared by many of the respondents. This may be because they grew
up seeing parents or older siblings utilizing herbal medicine. The researcher also shared
this view which was deemed realistic after analysing the data.
In the journal written by Clement, he expressed the impact of herbal medicine as
both positive and negative. The journal stated that herbal medicine can be used to cure
many illnesses and eight out of fifteen of the respondents agreed to this supporting his
findings, it was also stated that self medicating can have a negative impact on the
healthcare .Even though the same response was not given, seven out of the fifteen
respondents who answered the questionnaire deemed herbal medicine as having a
negative impact. However a completely different view from the respondents and Clement
was shared by Plunkett who wrote a Jamaican newspaper article that suggested the
growing use of herbal medicine may have a negative impact as it may be a medium for
persons to act as false practitioners to solicit funds from the public. The researcher
disagreed with this point, and it was not evidence in the study. The researcher believed

16

that the issue highlighted could have been an impact of any form as medicine and not just
herbal medicine.
In the video by Doctor Doulliard and C.J Anderson who wrote the internet source
similar views were shared as they believed consulting a doctor before using herbal
medicine can help to improve the health care. This view was only shard by three of the
respondents, suggesting that the other twelve respondents identified other responses they
found to be more plausible, not contributing a lot of support to the views of these existing
literatures. C.J Anderson also believed the introduction of more herbal doctors would
help improve the health care. Six out of fifteen of the respondents agreed to this point.
C. J Anderson and the researcher had the view that herbal medicine is being used
as an alternative for prescription drug by young adults, However this was proven to be
different after the data analysis. It was observed that six of the fifteen respondents chose
prescription drug as their choice of medicine another six chose herbal medicine and
prescription drug and only three chose herbal medicines. So from these result the view
expressed is that the use of prescription drug is still the more dominant of the two forms
of medicine. Differing from the expectations of the researcher and the views made by of
C. J Anderson. Difference in the data collected from the questionnaire and that present in
C.J Andersons literature may have resulted as the researcher used a small sample while
the problem was researched by C.J Anderson on a world wide scale expressing that 65%
of the persons who now use herbal medicine are young adults.

17

Conclusion, Limitation & Recommendation

In carrying out this research on why traditional medicine is being used as an alternative
for Prescription drug and its impact on the middle age population of Prospect, St. Thomas several
findings were discovered. It was discovered that Prescription drug is still the more dominant of
the two forms of medicine and also that the reasons for why traditional medicine is being used as
an alternative is because it is less expensive, persons are becoming aware of the dangers of
prescription drug, it is more effective and it is natural. It was also found out that herbal medicine
is believed to have a positive impact on healthcare as the greater amount of the respondent
believe it gets rid of illnesses. It was also found out that majority of the people believe the
introduction of more herbal doctors would ensure that herbal medicine improves the healthcare,
thus resolving the problem researched.
Limitations which occurred while conducting this research was that it called for a small
sampling size and over 350 person fall in the middle age group in the community of Prospect St.
Thomas and only the views of fifteen persons were expressed in carrying out this research, so the
population may have not being represented as best as possible. Also twenty questionnaires were
given out and only fifteen returned. The problem of unanswered open ended questions also
occurred and the questionnaires had to be taken back to the respondents to be completed.
The respondents had recommended that the introduction of more herbal doctors and the
implementing of recommended dosage for herbal medicine would be the solution to ensuring the
use of herbal medicine improves the healthcare of the middle age population of Prospect, St.
Thomas.
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Bibliography

Anderson, J., Roach, J. (August 03, 2012). Herbals for Health. Retrieved from
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09370.html.
Doulliards, J. (January 22, 2008). Medical vs. Alternative: When to choose. You tube: Video.
Plunkett, Nagra. (Wednesday | May 28, 2003). Alternative medicine, a growing trend. Jamaica:
Jamaican Gleaner Company Ltd.
Williams F Arlene, Clement N Yuri. (18 November 2005). BMC Complementary and Alternative
Medicine. Trinidad and Tobago: The University of the West Indies.
Williams, J, Simpson (1980). Modern Medicine Lay Perspectives & Experiences.

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Appendix

Note to Respondents
I am a student of Morant Bay High School currently in the sixth year. I reside in
the community of Prospect, St. Thomas. The purpose of this questionnaire is to gather
information for the research I am carrying out on Traditional Herbal medicine as an
alternative for Prescription drugs and how it impacts on the healthcare of the middle
age population of Prospect, St. Thomas. This research is required for Caribbean Studies
Cape Examination. I am asking please for your co-operation. I can assure you that the
responses you have provided will be kept confidential.
Thanks in Advance!!
Yours truly,
Channette Greaves

Instruction: Please answer all questions by placing a tick in the box which best suits your
response or giving your response on the lines provided.

1. What is your Gender?

20

Male
Female
2. To which age group do you belong?
30-35
36-40

41-45
46-50
3. Which type of medicine do you mainly use?
Prescription drugs
Herbal Medicine
Prescription drug and herbal medicine
4. Do you use Herbal medicine as an alternative for Prescription drugs?
Yes
No
5. Which reason do you think best suits why Traditional medicine is being used as an
alternative for Prescription drug by the middle age population of Prospect, St.
Thomas?
It is less expensive
Persons are becoming aware of the dangers of prescription drugs
Herbal medicine is more effective
It is natural
All of the above
6. Which reason best suits why herbal medicine is the most commonly used alternative
for prescription drugs by the middle age population of prospect, St. Thomas?
Persons are more familiar with herbal medicine
It is more accessible
Because of lack of knowledge about other alternatives
Because of tradition
7. In your opinion do you believe the use of herbal medicine as an alternative for
prescription drugs is a wise decision?
Yes
No

21

State your
reason_______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
8. How does the use of traditional medicine impact on your healthcare?
It gets rid of illness
It causes further complication
It triggers an allergic reaction
It causes further complication
Other________________________________________________________________
9. Do you believe herbal medicine as a positive impact on the healthcare of the middle
age population of Prospect, St. Thomas?
Yes
No
10. Which of the following attributes of herbal medicine do you believe has a positive
impact on healthcare?
It is natural
It is safe at times
If utilized properly it can be beneficial to health
All of the above
11. Which attribute of herbal medicine do you believe can have a negative impact on
your healthcare?
One form of herbal medicine can be used to cure many illnesses
Some herbal medicines can be poisonous
Some forms of herbal medicine are harmful in their natural state
Recommended dosage for herbal medicine are not common
12. In your opinion what do you believe can be done to ensure the use of traditional
medicine improves the healthcare of the middle age population of Prospect, St.
Thomas?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
13. Which of the following steps can be taken to ensure the use of herbal medicine
improves the healthcare of the middle age population of Prospect, St. Thomas?
The introduction of more herbal doctors
Recommended dosage for herbal medicine
22

Consulting a doctor
14. In your opinion do you believe educating the middle age population of Prospect, St.
Thomas more about herbal medicine can ensure its impact on their healthcare will be
improved?
To a small extent
Not at all
To a large extent

23