Factors of Herbal Usage and The Association with Medication Adherence Among Hypertensive and Diabetic Patients in Yogyakarta, Indonesia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objectives Herbal or traditional medicine (TM) is widely used among chronic disease patients. The purpose of the study is to describe the use of herbs, the factors affecting their use, and the correlation between their use and medication adherence among hypertension and diabetes mellitus patients in Yogyakarta City, Indonesia. Methods This study is a cross-sectional design. The respondents were patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus attending Primary Health Care in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, who were selected conveniently. Data were gathered between July and August 2024 using a pretested questionnaire. The variables measured were profiles of the TM, factors of the TM use, and medication adherence. Data were analyzed using descriptive and correlational approaches. Results Ninety-nine hypertension and 100 diabetes patients resulted in 199 study participants. All of the participants used prescription medicines, and half (N = 199, 51%) reported using TM for the treatment of hypertension and diabetes. The use of TM was 47% and 56% in hypertension and diabetes patients, respectively. The most commonly used TM among users were cucumber and garlic for hypertension patients, while for diabetic patients, they were bitter melon and ginger. Several main reasons why people with high blood pressure and diabetes use TM were acquiring TM from family members, getting tired of taking prescription medicines all the time, being worried about the long-term side effects of prescription medicines, and being able to find herbal remedies easily. Factors significantly associated with the use of TM among hypertension patients are support from friends and sources of TM information. For diabetic patients, the significant factors are knowledge and sources of TM information. There is no significant difference in the adherence to medication between users and non-users of TM (p > 0.05) in both hypertension and diabetic patients. Conclusions The study's results convince us that TM is commonly used among hypertension and diabetes patients, as shown by the participants in this study. For hypertension patients, peer support and access to information are pivotal in TM adoption. For diabetic patients, personal knowledge and information sources are more influential. The use of TM does not correlate with their adherence to prescribed medicines.