The Prevalence of Online Natural Health Products Purchase: A Systematic Review
https://doi.org/10.47836/mjmhs.19.2.36
- Author:
Ju-Ying Ang
1
,
2
;
Rhu-Yann Ho
1
;
Seng-Fah Tong
3
;
Fatimatuzzahra’ Abd. Aziz
1
;
Guat-See Ooi
1
Author Information
1. School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia&
2. Clinical Research Centre (CRC), Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ministry of Health, Malaysia
3. Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
- Publication Type:Other Types
- Keywords:
Online purchase, Natural health product, Dietary supplement, Complementary and alternative medicine
- From:Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences
2023;19(No.2):250-258
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Aim and design: This systematic review aimed to estimate the prevalence of online natural health products (NHPs)
purchases among consumers. Data Sources: Four databases (PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Sciences)
were searched for articles published up to July 1, 2021. Review Method: Studies included were those reporting the
prevalence of online NHPs purchases, those excluded were case reports, commentaries, letters, editorials, review
articles, theses and non-English studies. The risk of bias of selected studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute’s checklist, and the pooled prevalence of online NHPs purchases was generated using the random-effect model.
Results: A total of 30 studies were included in the meta-analysis, representing a total of 40,535 respondents. The
pooled prevalence of online NHPs purchases was estimated at 7.60% (95% CI: 5.49, 10.01). Prevalence was higher
in studies conducted in recent years, among physically active populations and when sports nutrition was included
within the scope of NHPs. More than half of the selected studies have a moderate risk of bias, and considerable
heterogeneity was observed across the selected studies. Conclusion and Impact: Online purchases of NHPs are not
common among consumers, but they have become more common in recent years. A wide range of NHPs were investigated across studies, which may have contributed to the considerable heterogeneity reported in this review. It is
suggested that future studies investigating online NHPs purchases consider reporting individual prevalence statistics
specific to each NHP type, to facilitate meaningful comparisons between studies.
- Full text:11.2023my1486.pdf
