Interprofessional undergraduate health sciences students’ experiences seeking natural health product information from Canadian vendors as self-described in reflective essays

Mayan, Maria; Kutt, Anastasia; Punja, Salima; Bienko, Izabela; Vohra, Sunita

doi:10.1016/j.eujim.2018.05.007

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Naturally, this results inthe provision of biased and unbalanced information, with a greater focus on the benefits of cannabis use and less focus on the risks, as evident by the present study's results, along with other published studies [ 26 , 27 ]. Presenting information that could potentially detract consumers from buying products, such as the side effects of cannabis use, is not in the interest of many online vendors [ 28 ]. Additionally, as evident by the aims and goals provided by many of these web sites, they are primarily concerned with selling their products as opposed to educating consumers [ 29 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The quality of health information provided on web sites selling cannabis to consumers in Canada is poor

Tahir

Lum

2022

Harm Reduct J

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Background Cannabis is used by millions of people for both medical and recreational purposes, and this use is even greater in jurisdictions where it is legalized, such as Canada. Online cannabis vendors have gained popularity for purchasing cannabis due to easy access and convenience to consumers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of health information provided by web sites of cannabis vendors selling products to Canadian consumers and to further identify trends in the information provided. Methods Six different searches were conducted on Google.ca, and the first 40 webpages of each search were screened for eligibility. A total of 33 unique web sites of cannabis vendors selling products to Canadian consumers were identified and included. The DISCERN instrument, which consists of 16 questions divided into three sections, was used to evaluate the quality of cannabis-related health information on these web sites. Results Across the 33 web sites, the average of the summed DISCERN scores was 36.83 (SD = 9.73) out of 75, and the mean score for the overall quality of the publication (DISCERN question 16) was 2.41 (SD = 0.71) out of 5. Many of these web sites failed to discuss uncertainties in research evidence on cannabis, the impact of cannabis use on quality of life, alternatives to cannabis use, risks associated with cannabis use, and lacked references to support claims on effects and benefits of use. Conclusion Our findings indicate that the quality of cannabis-related health information provided by online vendors is poor. Healthcare providers should be aware that patients may use these web sites as primary sources of information and appropriately caution patients while directing them to high-quality sources. Future research should serve to replicate this study in other jurisdictions and assess the accuracy of information provided by online cannabis vendors, as this was outside the scope of the DISCERN instrument.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The quality of health information provided on web sites selling cannabis to consumers in Canada is poor

Tahir

Lum

2022

Harm Reduct J

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“…Sharing with consumers that their products are associated with potentially harmful health risks may negatively impact the volume of sales. Thus, such retailers are in a perpetual conflict of interest with respect to providing accurate, high-quality consumer health information [ 34 ]. Given a general lack of available high-quality research evidence (i.e.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the quality of information provided on websites selling Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) to consumers in Canada

Ans

Marwaha

2021

Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy

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Background Amid a Canadian opioid crisis, many have turned to natural health products, such as kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), to manage their opioid withdrawal. Kratom has also been reported to relieve anxiety, improve stamina, and heighten physical performance. Given that kratom is not authorized for sale by Health Canada, many have turned to online retailers to purchase kratom due to its easy accessibility online. This study investigated the quality of consumer health information provided on the websites of online vendors selling kratom to consumers in Canada. Methods Following searches on Google.ca using search terms designed to simulate the information-seeking behaviour of a typical patient-user online, eligible websites were assessed using the 16-question DISCERN instrument, a tool designed to assess the quality of consumer health information. Searches were conducted on March 27, 2020 and only websites presenting information in English were included. Results A total of 200 webpages were identified; after screening based on eligibility criteria and combining different webpages that belonged to the same website, 51 websites were found to be eligible. The mean summed DISCERN score across all 51 websites was 36.95 (SD = 2.44) out of 75, which reflects poor quality consumer health information across the subset of websites. The overall quality of websites was poor, as 78% (n = 40) of vendors received a score of 2 or less out of 5. Conclusions Individuals who seek information about kratom online are frequently exposed to poor quality consumer health information. Those looking to purchase kratom online are not provided with the critical information necessary to make an informed decision regarding its use, such as the complete details about the risks and side effects or a description of how kratom affects the body. Given the growing interest in kratom, knowledge of the quality of information available can lead to improved dialogue between healthcare providers and patients.

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“…In addition to their effective potentials in the therapeutic features, herbal products are easier to obtain, less expensive, and more acceptable for people than synthetic medicines. However, herbs have risks and sometimes can lead to poisoning if not used properly, and some of them are inefficient in the treatment of certain emergency cases [ 1 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Antibacterial, Anticandidal, Phytochemical, and Biological Evaluations of Pellitory Plant

Qadi

Jaradat

Al-Lahham

et al. 2020

BioMed Research International

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Pellitory plant (Parietaria judaica (PJ)) is one of the most widely used Arabian traditional medicinal plants due to its ability to cure several infectious diseases and other illnesses. The current study is aimed at assessing the phytoconstituents, antilipase, antiamylase, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic characters of the Pellitory plant (Parietaria judaica (PJ)). Phytochemical screening and procyanidin detection were conducted according to the standard phytochemical procedures. Porcine pancreatic lipase and α-amylase inhibitory activities were carried out using p-nitrophenyl butyrate and dinitrosalicylic acid assays, respectively. In addition, antimicrobial activity was determined utilizing a microdilution assay against several bacterial and fungal strains. Besides, the cytotoxic effect against HeLa cell line was tested employing 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) assay. The quantitative test results revealed that the methanol fraction of PJ contains 18.55 ± 0.55 mg of procyanidin and has a potential α-amylase inhibitory activity compared with the antidiabetic drug Acarbose with IC50 values of 15.84 ± 2.25 and 28.18 ± 1.22 μg/ml, respectively. Also, it has a potential antilipase activity compared to the commercial antiobesity drug, Orlistat, with IC50 values of 38.9 ± 0.29 and 12.3 ± 0.35 μg/ml, respectively. The acetone, hexane, and methanol fractions have broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against the screened bacterial strains, while the acetone fraction has shown anticandidal activity with a MIC value of 0.195 mg/ml. The PJ hexane and acetone fractions decreased HeLa cell viability significantly ( p value < 0.0001) by approximately 90% at the concentration of 0.625 mg/ml. The revealed outcomes showed that the methanol fraction has strong α-amylase and lipase inhibitory characters. Besides, acetone, hexane, and methanol fractions have broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, while the acetone fraction revealed potent antifungal activity against Candida albicans. Moreover, at low concentrations, hexane and acetone fractions have potent cytotoxic and antiproliferative activity against HeLa cancer cells. Nevertheless, PJ acetone, hexane, and methanol fractions can serve as an effective source of natural products to develop new antiobesity, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, and anticancer agents.

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Interprofessional undergraduate health sciences students’ experiences seeking natural health product information from Canadian vendors as self-described in reflective essays

Cited by 3 publications

References 19 publications

The quality of health information provided on web sites selling cannabis to consumers in Canada is poor

The quality of health information provided on web sites selling cannabis to consumers in Canada is poor

Assessing the quality of information provided on websites selling Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) to consumers in Canada

Antibacterial, Anticandidal, Phytochemical, and Biological Evaluations of Pellitory Plant

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