Article

A Questionnaire-Based Study on the Use of Weight-Loss Medicines and Herbal Mixtures among Pharmacy Students in the Hail Region

Weiam Abdul Raheem Hussein1,2★, Mohammed Khaled Bin Break1, Ahmed Alafnan3, Bader Huwaimel1, Weam Mohamed Ali Khojali1,4, Nasrin Eldirdiri Khalifa5,6, Naila Hassan Alkefai7,8, Mhdia Elhadi Osman9, Ghaliah Alshammari1, Tahani S. Albalawi1, Zahwah Alshammari1, Haya Almutairi1, Reem Alrasheedi1, Talal Ahmed Alshammari1, Ibrahim Khalid Alhajaji1, Fawaz Alheibshy5,10★ Corresponding author

  1. 1Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Ha’il, Hail, SAUDI ARABIA.
  2. 2Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aden University, Aden, YEMEN.
  3. 3Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Ha’il, Hail, SAUDI ARABIA.
  4. 4Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Omdurman Islamic University, Al Khartoum, SUDAN.
  5. 5Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Ha’il, Hail, SAUDI ARABIA.
  6. 6Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, SUDAN.
  7. 7Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Hafr Al-Batin, Hafr Al-Batin, SAUDI ARABIA.
  8. 8Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aden University, Aden, YEMEN.
  9. 9Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, University of Ha’il, Hail, SAUDI ARABIA.
  10. 10Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Aden University, Aden, YEMEN.

CORRESPONDENCE

Weiam Abdul Raheem Hussein

Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Ha’il, Hail, SAUDI ARABIA.

w.hussein@liveuohedu.onmicrosoft.com

Received: 06-02-2023; Revised: 12-05-2023; Accepted: 14-08-2023.

Volume 58, Issue 1 · pp. 342–347 · PUBLISHED 2024 · DOI: 10.5530/ijper.58.1.37

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ABSTRACT

Objectives: The obesity epidemic continues to grow at an alarming rate because the lifestyle we live plays a big role in the continuation and exacerbation of this problem. The use of medicines and herbs has become widespread, especially among young people. This study's objective was to identify the medicines and herbs used to treat obesity specifically among pharmacy female students in Hail city. Materials and Methods: An online, semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data, and the resulting information was then statistically analyzed. Results: Obesity problems can be observed among pharmacy female students but at a moderate rate (41%) and most of the participants started showing symptoms of obesity at an early age. About 10% of study participants have an incorrect belief that natural products are better than synthetic ones. Horsetail, green tea extract, and red tea extract were the most extensively utilized herbal extracts for weight loss, according to this study. Liraglutide, Semaglutide, and Orlistat were the most commonly used weight-loss medicines among female students, even though their use was less common than that of herbal combinations. Although a number of the research, respondents used unknown herbal mixtures mostly on the commercial market. Conclusion: This study found that female pharmacy students in the Hail region frequently utilize herbal remedies to lose weight. Therefore, it has become one of the priorities of our upcoming research to try to find out the truth of what is contained in the herbal mixtures used by the students and to reveal their side effects.

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    Hussein, W. A. R., Break, M. K. B., Alafnan, A., Huwaimel, B., Khojali, W. M. A., Khalifa, N. E., Alkefai, N. H., Osman, M. E., Alshammari, G., Albalawi, T. S., Alshammari, Z., Almutairi, H., Alrasheedi, R., Alshammari, T. A., Alhajaji, I. K., & Alheibshy, F. (2024). A Questionnaire-Based Study on the Use of Weight-Loss Medicines and Herbal Mixtures among Pharmacy Students in the Hail Region. Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, 58(1), 342–347. https://doi.org/10.5530/ijper.58.1.37