Data Collection, Methodology, And Analysis: A Study On The Consumption Patterns Of Herbal Products In China

Sample Selection and Unbiased Sampling

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The data was distributed and collected from 450 people out of which 150 is selected as sample size. The sample is selected as unbiased and everyone had an equal chance of getting selected. Simple random sampling is followed as it is one of the simplest sampling techniques. The confidence level is selected as 95% in which it is assumed that the data presented is accurate at least up to 95%.

Demographic	Particulars	Frequency Save Time On Research and Writing Hire a Pro to Write You a 100% Plagiarism-Free Paper. Get My Paper	Percentage (%)
Gender	Male	83	55%
Female	67	45%
Age Group	16-25 years	28	19%
26-40 years	42	28%
41-55 years	50	33%
56 and above	30	20%
Educational Qualification	High School	22	15%
Bachelor’s Degree	85	57%
Master’s Degree	40	26%
Ph.D.	3	2%

From the below table, it is analysed that 55% respondents are male while the remaining 45% are females. Other demographic factors such as education and age group are also analysed. Majority of the respondents, i.e. 33% belong to the age group 41-55 years, 28% belong to 26-40 years, 20% are aged 56 and above, and the remaining 19% are between 16-25 years old.

It is seen in Figure 1 that 48% of the respondents have average health status, while 19% are good, 19% are poor, 8% are severely ill and only 6% have excellent health. 31% of the respondents are influenced by Chinese culture of products, while 25%, 22% and 9% are influenced by American, Asian and other cultures. However, 9% are not influenced by any cultural tradition (Figure 2). It is analysed that the majority, i.e., 37% are influenced by Confucianism. The Chinese majorly follow products influenced by their religion. Other than that, the respondents are influenced by Hinduism, Islam and others with 17%, 1% and 18% respectively. However, 27% respondents are not influenced by any religion (Figure 3).

A short interview was conducted for knowing the consumption patterns or beliefs in the herbal products. The aim of the interview was to analyse the behaviour of the respondents towards the herbal products. The analysis shall help in estimating the demand for herbal products in China and other international markets. The answers collected by the respondents revealed that every individual has used herbal products or therapies in the past. They were either recommended by the doctors or the products were purchased by following the internet or health magazines. The respondents selected all the natural herbal products and therapies such as homeopathy, traditional Chinese product, Ayurveda, Herbal product and Yoga. The respondents also suggested a few other therapies such as Accupressure, Accupunture and many others.

Regarding the frequency of intake, it is observed that 40 respondents have yearly intake of herbal products. There are categories of respondents who consume herbal products daily, weekly, monthly or rarely. The people consuming herbal products regularly are generally taking preventive measures or are diabetic patients. The people responded that the herbal products do not have side effects on them and are less expensive than the drugs. A few herbal product brands consumed by people in the past are Fusion, Chinese Herbs Direct, White Flower, Yang Cheng and Health King. The respondents mentioned that they have used different kind of herbal products for promoting health, preventing illness and treating illness. 

VAR00001
	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	3	28	18.7	18.7	18.7
4	57	38.0	38.0	56.7
5	65	43.3	43.3	100.0
Total	150	100.0	100.0

Demographic Analysis

	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	3	29	19.3	19.3	19.3
4	61	40.7	40.7	60.0
5	60	40.0	40.0	100.0
Total	150	100.0	100.0

	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	3	11	7.3	7.3	7.3
4	70	46.7	46.7	54.0
5	69	46.0	46.0	100.0
Total	150	100.0	100.0

	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	3	24	16.0	16.0	16.0
4	64	42.7	42.7	58.7
5	62	41.3	41.3	100.0
Total	150	100.0	100.0

	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	3	22	14.7	14.7	14.7
4	65	43.3	43.3	58.0
5	63	42.0	42.0	100.0
Total	150	100.0	100.0

	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	3	22	14.7	14.7	14.7
4	64	42.7	42.7	57.3
5	64	42.7	42.7	100.0
Total	150	100.0	100.0

	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	3	21	14.0	14.0	14.0
4	67	44.7	44.7	58.7
5	62	41.3	41.3	100.0
Total	150	100.0	100.0

	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	3	25	16.7	16.7	16.7
4	60	40.0	40.0	56.7
5	65	43.3	43.3	100.0
Total	150	100.0	100.0

Q19
	Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	3	15	10.0	10.0	10.0
4	68	45.3	45.3	55.3
5	67	44.7	44.7	100.0
Total	150	100.0	100.0

Statistics
	Q11	Q12	Q13	Q14	Q15	Q16	Q17	Q18	Q19
N	Valid	150	150	150	150	150	150	150	150	150
Missing	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Std. Deviation	.750	.745	.622	.716	.704	.706	.694	.730	.655
Variance	.563	.554	.386	.513	.495	.498	.482	.532	.429
Mean Range	4.25 2	4.21 2	4.39 2	4.25 2	4.27 2	4.28 2	4.27 2	4.27 2	4.35 2
Minimum	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3
Maximum	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5	5
Table 2: Descriptive Statistics

The above table indicates that the respondents are clustered around the actual perception. The deviation level for each question indicates that the potential consumers have similar opinions. The respondents mainly answered that they consume herbal products are useful in preventing illness, maintaining good health and treating illness. The respondents also find the herbal medicines safe to consume as they are naturally preset in nature. The herbal medicines are preferably consumed by the respondents after doctor’s advice. They have fewer side effects than other drugs taken for treating illness. The respondents also feel that there are less clinics selling herbal products and the consumption would increase if the products are more popular. The problems with regular drugs are that they are expensive and people might not be comfortable consuming it. The respondents are keen to consume herbal products if they are not comfortable with other products. The respondents also trust the information and composition as mentioned on the label of the herbal products. It is inferred that they believe on the product packaging and labeling.

Conclusion to Data Collection and Analysis

The above research analysis clearly states the demand of herb products in China and other markets. The research clearly analyses the behaviours and attitudes of consumers regarding herbal products. As seen above, the respondents state that they consume products when it is prescribed by the doctors. The people do not consume products without prescription that could be an issue in sales. The sales could be affected adversely as the people might be ignorant and might hesitate to consume a new brand of herbal products. The brands that are already established in the foreign markets may be preferred by the people as they consume it regularly (Albarraq 2013).

With the increasing population, the plant species are getting extinct. The medicinal plants found in the Himalayas contain various organic compounds that can be used in pharmacy. Many medicinal plants also become pure drugs (Bhattacharya, Reddy and Mishra 2014). The medical researchers and practitioners are being researched even for cosmetic values (K Suleiman 2013). The medicinal plants are being used for treating diseases such as cancer, leukaemia and memory building (Pan 2014). For such reasons, the demand for herbal products with medicinal properties is increasing day by day. Quality plays a significant role in the production. The medicinal plants may be standardized and the extracts may be used for preparing demanded products (Sahoo and Manchikanti 2013). The raw herbal drugs shall be collected from their natural habitat in the Himalayan range. However, the drugs shall only be collected by the knowledgeable people so that there is no exploitation or unscientific uses of these herbs (R 2015).

Influence of Culture and Religion on Herbal Product Consumption

The survey results indicate that the people may consume more herbal products if there is greater awareness and reach. The studies show that the herbal products are less expensive than the other drugs (Farzaneh and Carvalho 2015). They also have less or no side effects that is not the same as other medicinal drugs. The reports have stated that the young adults are increasingly switching to natural products (David, Wolfender and Dias 2014). Despite the criticisms of herbal products by medical practitioners, the common drugs are still derived by plant-based sources (Abdullah and Salleh 2016).

Herbal products have significant advantages that may be opposed to pharmaceutical products. The herbal products are well tolerated by the patients with unintended consequences than modern drugs (Kumar et al. 2014). The products are also safe to use for using over a continuous period. The products are more effective in case of chronic conditions such as arthritis, bronchitis and various others. The herbal medicines cost less than the prescribed medicines. The resting, research and marketing are inexpensive in comparison with drugs. The herbal medicines must be widely available so that they are available to majority of people. The greater availability shall also help in raising awareness (Smeriglio, Tomaino and Trombetta 2014).

However, herbal products may not be suitable in all situations. The modern products treat serious illness or accidents more effectively. The herbal products may not heal as quickly as modern medicines or products. Not all herbal products come with instructions that make it inconvenient for the people to purchase and use (Posadzki, Watsonand Ernst 2013). There is a risk of overdose since not all the herbal products come with a risk. It may also be risky when people try to pick or identify wild herbs (Kalaiselvan et al. 2015). If the wrong part of the plant is used, it may prove poisonous. Because herbal products are not tightly regulated, consumers also run the risk of buying inferior quality herbs. The quality of herbal products may vary among batches, brands or manufacturers. This can make it much more difficult to prescribe the proper dose of an herb (Calahan 2016).

India has a wide variety of soil and climatic conditions that makes the country the world’s richest medicinal plant heritages. China has a great market for herbal products. The traditional medicines have been used and been passed over for generations to maintain and promote health. It has also prevented and reduced disorders. There is a great opportunity in exporting the finest herbs to the international market. If a proper marketing strategy is developed, the mindset of users overseas can be

Frequency of Intake and Brands Consumed

Further research for this topic can be conducted on exploring the marketing strategies for emerging the Chinese and other international markets. The environmental analysis can be conducted for assessing the scenario.

Conclusion and Future Work

Conclusion

Every country has their traditional beliefs and belongings and this can be a risk while introducing and exporting new products in those countries. The results and findings suggest that India has the knowledge, resources and skills in medicinal or herbal products. The opportunities must be utilized for expanding in the international markets. The regulatory environment must be analyzed for the foreign countries that can help in capturing a global market share and increasing the worth of Indian market.

The limitation from this study is that the opinions of the people who do not use herbal product is not taken much into consideration. The basic demand and awareness among the people is focused upon. The future work can focus more on the emerging methods and marketing strategies to enter foreign markets. A detailed analysis can be conducted on the established herbal product brands in the foreign market.

References

Abdullah, N. and Salleh, S., 2016. Factors related to the use of herbal products and derivatives from consumers’ perspective in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah: An Initial Study. Sosiohumanika, 3(1).

Albarraq, A., 2013. Consumers′ perceptions on generic medicines in Taif city, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Journal for Health Sciences, 2(1), p.18.

Bhattacharya, R., Reddy, K.R.C. and Mishra, A.K., 2014. Export strategy of Ayurvedic Products from India. International Journal of Ayurvedic Medicine,5(1).

Calahan, J., Howard, D., Almalki, A.J., Gupta, M.P. and Calderón, A.I., 2016. Chemical Adulterants in Herbal Medicinal Products: A Review. Planta medica, 82(06), pp.505-515.

David, B., Wolfender, J. and Dias, D., 2014. The pharmaceutical industry and natural products: historical status and new trends. Phytochem Rev, 14(2), pp.299-315.

Farzaneh, V. and Carvalho, I., 2015. A review of the health benefit potentials of herbal plant infusions and their mechanism of actions. Industrial Crops and Products, 65, pp.247-258.

K Suleiman, A., 2013. Attitudes and Beliefs of Consumers of Herbal Medicines in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. J Community Med Health Educ, 04(02).

Kalaiselvan, V., Saurabh, A., Kumar, R. and Singh, G., 2015. Adverse reactions to herbal products: An analysis of spontaneous reports in the database of the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India.Journal of Herbal Medicine, 5(1), pp.48-54.

Kumar, K., Fateh, V., Verma, B. and Pandey, S., 2014. Some herbal drugs used for treatment of diabetes. Int. J. Res. Dev. Pharm. L. Sci, 3(5), pp.1116-1120.

Pan, S.Y., Litscher, G., Gao, S.H., Zhou, S.F., Yu, Z.L., Chen, H.Q., Zhang, S.F., Tang, M.K., Sun, J.N. and Ko, K.M., 2014. Historical perspective of traditional indigenous medical practices: the current renaissance and conservation of herbal resources. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2014.

Posadzki, P., Watson, L. and Ernst, E., 2013. Contamination and adulteration of herbal medicinal products (HMPs): an overview of systematic reviews. European journal of clinical pharmacology, 69(3), pp.295-307.

R, R., 2015. Vital role of herbal medicines in womens health: A perspective review. African Journal of Plant Science, 9(8), pp.320-326.

Sahoo, N. and Manchikanti, P., 2013. Herbal drug regulation and commercialization: An Indian industry perspective. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 19(12), pp.957-963.

Smeriglio, A., Tomaino, A. and Trombetta, D., 2014. Herbal products in pregnancy: experimental studies and clinical reports. Phytotherapy Research, 28(8), pp.1107-1116.