Uso de Plantas Medicinais por usuários de uma Unidade Básica de Saúde do Centro - Oeste Brasileiro

Abstract

Introduction: Medicinal plants are an important element when it comes to human health. The use of nature for therapeutic purposes is as old as human civilization, and for a long time, mineral, plant, and animal products were fundamental to the health field. With this in mind, the subject gives rise to this Course Completion Work, which aims to evaluate the use of medicinal plants by users of the Primary Health Care Unit. Methodology: This is an observational, cross-sectional study with primary data collection, conducted at a Primary Health Care Unit in the municipality of Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul. A semi-structured interview was applied, based on a non-probabilistic, convenience sample, with users in the service waiting room who reported having used a medicinal plant in the last 12 months.The semi-structured interview included questions for sociodemographic characterization (sex, age, education level, and family income) and questions related to the use of medicinal plants (which plants were used and in what way). Results and discussion: The study involved 30 individuals, 90% of whom were women. The most cited medicinal plants were boldo, mint, chamomile, lemon balm, and caferana. All participants knew the indications according to the guidelines of the Ministry of Health's phytotherapy manuals. Regarding preparation methods, knowledge was inadequate and insufficient, with weaknesses in the recommended amount of plant for preparation. Conclusion: The population had knowledge about indications and preparation methods, and only three participants were able to indicate the contraindications of the cited plants, highlighting the need to develop health actions to guide people on the risks of using medicinal plants.