Indonesia basic health survey: self-medication profile for diarrhea with traditional medicine

In Indonesia, diarrhea is an endemic disease and often leads fatal and an outbreak potential. Diarrhea can occur for several days and often can be cured without any medication. Commonly, to treat diarrhea atthe first time is by doing self-medication. Basic health survey data in 2013 showed that 15.7% of Indonesian people kept and used traditional medicines (TM).

This study was conducted to find out the characteristic of Indonesian people do for diarrhea self-medication.

We analyzes household data cross-sectionally from the 2013 basic health survey in 33 provinces and 497 cities in Indonesian. Data analysis included household characteristics, economic status, education, information of getting and keeping the TM, and status of the TM kept in households.

The result showed 89% of households store traditional medicines. Traditional diarrhea medicines were stored by 66.54% households in the urban, and were mostly obtained from traditional medicine store, stored for supply 55.86%, and used only if needed 50.65%.

The study concluded that mostly people preferred to keep and use traditional Indonesian medicine produced by the TM national industry rather than others. Duration of use for self-medication in most of the households is thought to be appropriate.