Consumption Pattern of Black Myrobalan for Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 and People’ Attitude Towards It in Qom, Iran: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and Objectives: Black myrobalan drug, known as “Imam Kazem drug” in Iran, is used by most of Iranian people to prevent and treat the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aims to investigate the consumption pattern of black myrobalan by people in Qom, Iran and their attitudes towards it. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1077 patients referred to health centers in Qom, Iran in 2021 participated. They completed a demographic form and a researcher-made questionnaire assessing the consumption pattern of black myrobalan and people’s attitudes towards this drug. Data were analyzed in SPSS v. 20 software using chi-square test, Fisher test, Spearman correlation test, and logistic regression analysis. Results: Out of 1018 patients who responded to the questionnaire, 660 (64.8%) were familiar with the drug and 491 (48.2%) had used the drug during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among them, 409 (83.2%) had used the drug for prevention and 166 (33.9%) for treatment of COVID-19. The attitude of participants towards this drug was positive in 515 patients (50.6%). The consumption pattern of black myrobalan was significantly correlated with occupation and attitude of people. It was found out that 83 patients (16.9%) reported mild side effects following drug use. Conclusion: A significant percentage of people in Qom city use black myrobalan, and have positive attitude towards it. This requires that its efficacy and side effects be investigated in clinical studies.