Perception and Use of Herbals Among Students and Their Practitioners in a University Setting

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Abstract
Purpose: To determine the extent of herbal use among students at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and to examine the campus health services practitioners' attitudes toward herbals.Data Sources: An exploratory study of a nonrandom sampling of 1,754 students and 40 practitioners. The student t test and chi‐square comparisons were used to analyze the data.Conclusions: Over half of the students surveyed were using herbals, primarily for relief of physical symptoms, prevention of illness, and improvement of general well‐being. Many students lacked accurate or sufficient information about herbals and were not seeking medical guidance. Although the practitioners asked students about herbal use and sometimes even encouraged it, 75% noted the need for additional professional education about herbals.Implications for Practice: Practitioners in the college health setting need to be cognizant of students' self‐medication with herbals and need to have the knowledge to guide students appropriately.

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