{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]],"date-time":"2026-08-24T15:52:02Z","timestamp":1787586722912,"version":"build-2736575974"},"update-to":[{"DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0012910","type":"new_version","label":"New version","source":"publisher","updated":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,31]],"date-time":"2025-03-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1743379200000}}],"reference-count":54,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,17]],"date-time":"2025-03-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1742169600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosntds.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS Negl Trop Dis"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Canine rabies is endemic in Nigeria, with a low dog vaccination rate. Often, dog bite victims resort to traditional remedies, which can lead to fatalities. Our study investigated factors influencing decisions to seek traditional remedies in Nigeria. We conducted a cross-sectional study in 2022 involving 4,162 dog-owning households. A joint random effect Bayesian regression model was developed to examine the role of sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and infrastructural covariates. This model included a latent variable measuring a respondent\u2019s understanding of rabies risk based on literacy levels and responses to questions about rabies epidemiology. Our results indicated that 27% (95% Confidence Interval [Cl); 26-27) of respondents would preferably seek traditional remedies following a dog bite. Male respondents were 24% more likely than female respondents to seek traditional remedies (odds ratio [OR]: 1.24; 95%, Credible Interval CrI): 1.07-1.31). Similarly, individuals residing in rural areas reported 55% higher likelihood of using traditional remedies than those in urban areas (OR: 1.55; 95% CrI: 1.43\u20131.67). Respondents residing in areas with no veterinary services reported 35% higher likelihood of using traditional remedies than those near such facilities (OR: 1.35; 95% CrI: 1.15\u20131.42). Children under 16 years reported 27% lower likelihood of using traditional remedies than adults (OR: 0.73; 95% CrI: 0.49\u20130.84). Private or unemployed individuals were more likely to seek traditional remedies than civil servants (OR: 1.99; 95% Crl: 1.53-2.37). Respondents with tertiary education reported 42% lower likelihood of using traditional remedies than those without formal education (OR: 0.58; 95% CrI: 0.49\u20130.62). Our latent variable representing understanding of rabies risk was negatively associated with the probability of seeking traditional remedies (OR: 0.67; 95% CrI: 0.54\u20130.73). Lastly, poverty was negatively associated with the likelihood of seeking traditional remedies (OR: 0.78; 95% CrI: 0.66\u20130.82). Our findings provide important insights into healthcare behaviour decisions and their possible associations with rabies outcomes in Nigeria. These results highlight the need to improve public education, enhance access to medical care, and involve traditional healers in rabies prevention and control programs.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0012910","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,17]],"date-time":"2025-03-17T17:31:28Z","timestamp":1742232688000},"page":"e0012910","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pntd.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Traditional practices versus modern healthcare: Determinants of traditional medicine use after potential dog bites among dog-owning households in Nigeria"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"19","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6834-1456","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Philip P.","family":"Mshelbwala","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kinley","family":"Wangdi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jibrin","family":"Idris","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohammad Mahmudul","family":"Hassan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrew M.","family":"Adamu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Charles E.","family":"Rupprecht","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nicholas J.","family":"Clark","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,17]]},"reference":[{"issue":"4","key":"pntd.0012910.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0003709","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0003709","article-title":"Estimating the global burden of endemic canine rabies","volume":"9","author":"K Hampson","year":"2015","journal-title":"PLoS Negl Trop Dis"},{"issue":"5","key":"pntd.0012910.ref002","first-page":"360","article-title":"Re-evaluating the burden of rabies in Africa and Asia","volume":"83","author":"DL Knobel","year":"2005","journal-title":"Bull World Health Organ"},{"issue":"4","key":"pntd.0012910.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"749","DOI":"10.1002\/ccr3.1972","article-title":"Two fatal cases of rabies in humans who did not receive rabies postexposure prophylaxis in Nigeria","volume":"7","author":"SW Audu","year":"2019","journal-title":"Clin Case Rep"},{"key":"pntd.0012910.ref004","unstructured":"World Health Organization. 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