Table 1
Participant characteristics.
| CHARACTERISTIC | FREQUENCY | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|
| Age group | ||
| 35–49 | 5 | 26% |
| 50–59 | 8 | 42% |
| 60 and above | 6 | 32% |
| Gender | ||
| Male | 10 | 53% |
| Female | 9 | 47% |
| Education | ||
| No education | 2 | 11% |
| Primary | 8 | 42% |
| Secondary | 7 | 37% |
| Tertiary | 2 | 11% |
| Occupation | ||
| Peasant farmer | 10 | 53% |
| Business | 5 | 26% |
| Other | 4 | 21% |
Table 2A
Practices in place of missed medicines (when conventional medicines are not available).
| ACTION/PRACTICE | REASON OR TRIGGER (SYMPTOM OR SIGN) | INTERPRETATION OF TRIGGER | PERCEIVED OUTCOME |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soak feet in salt water | Swelling of feet | High BP | Prevents likely complication |
| Sleep on a cold surface | Burning sensations in body | High BP | Relieved |
| Drink cold water | Heat in the body and feet | High BP | Cooled body |
| Undress or sleep on a cold surface | Heat in the body and feet | High BP | Cooled body |
| Eat raw carrots | Itchy feeling/tingling | High BP | Partial relief |
| Use herbal teas or herbal coffee | Chest pain, joint pains | High BP | Partial relief |
| Drink water | Palpitations | High BP | Psychological relief |
| Take herbal medicines | No medicines at expected time for swallowing the medicines | High BP | Reduced BP |
| Take oral rehydration salt (ORS) | No medicines at expected time for swallowing the medicines | High sugar | Temporary relief |
| Walk around | Numbness of feet or toes | High sugar | Reduced numbness |
| Take herbal medicines | Erectile dysfunction | High sugar | Substitute medicines |
| Eat bitter tomatoes | Itching | High sugar | Partial relief |
| Take oral rehydration salt (ORS) | No medicines at expected time for swallowing the medicines | High sugar | Partial relief |
Table 2b
Use of traditional medicines alongside conventional medicines (when conventional medicines are available).
| ACTION/PRACTICE | REASON OR TRIGGER OF (SYMPTOM OR SIGN) | INTERPRETATION OF TRIGGER | REPORTED OR PERCEIVED OUTCOME |
|---|---|---|---|
| Takes traditional medicines | Palpitations, Swollen face, heavy eyes | High BP | Partial relief |
| Takes traditional medicines | Feeling weak | High sugar | Partial relief |
| Adds traditional herbal condiment to food | Weight gain | Lots of fat in the body, clogged blood vessels | Breaks down fat, herbs cleanse the veins |
| Takes locally prepared herbal mixtures | Told that traditional herbs cure | Desire for cure | Herbs may cure |
| Decocts and takes herbal teas or coffee or syrups | Severe headache, joints pains, chest pain | High BP | No effect but some relief |
| Takes Arabic herbal medicines | Feeling dizzy | Low sugar | Raised sugar level |
Table 3
Practices to supplement treatments.
| ACTION/PRACTICE | REASON OR TRIGGER (SYMPTOM OR SIGN) | INTERPRETATION OF TRIGGER | REPORTED OR PERCEIVED OUTCOME |
|---|---|---|---|
| Takes time off from people | Stressed or unhappy | Causes BP or sugar levels to increase | Feels better |
| Swallows some anti-biotic | Feeling dizzy | High BP | Gets some relief |
| Avoids worrying, takes off time to sleep | Lack of strength, general body weakness, palpitations | High BP | Feels better, palpitations stopped |
| Avoid eating food (fasting) | Hearing the heart beats | High BP | To reduce weight |
| Takes a walk | Feeling weak | High BP | To improve blood circulation |
| Swallows some painkillers (analgesic) | Swelling of feet, numbness of feet or legs | High BP | Swelling reduced, feels better |
| Takes a walk | Breathing heavily | High BP | To sweat and reduce fat |
| Drinks lots of water | Constant headache, constantly feeling thirsty, frequent urination | High sugar | Gets some relief |
| Eats food and takes a walk | Cloudy vision | High sugar | Felt better |
| Increases the medicine dosage | When the urine is yellow | High sugar | Gets some relief |
| Massages legs with warm water, stretch legs morning and evening | Paralysis of feet and knees | High sugar | Perceived to help straighten blood vessels, gets some relief |
| Uses worm water | Itches | High sugar | Gets some relief |
| Walks barefooted on small stones | Numbness of feet | High sugar | Feels good |
| Digging, walking and household chores | Main physical activities | Improve blood circulation | Body functions well |
| Eats sugar or takes something sweet (e.g., sweet bananas) | Foaming in mouth, Cloudy vision, body weakness, or temporarily unable to speak | Low sugar | Stabilized, got better |
| Taste own urine | Anxious about sugar level | Sweet taste implies high sugar | Perceives the sugar level |