목적 : 이 연구의 목적은 한약과 건강기능식품의 선호도 차이를 알아보고, 선호 이유에 대한 분석을 통해 한약의 대중화를 위한 더 나은 방법을 모색하는 것이다.
방법 : 경기도 ○○시에 소재한 한 개 초등학교 학생의 학부모를 대상으로 500부의 설문지 배포를 실시한 후 회수된 331명을 분석하였다.
결과 : 총 331명 중 성별은 여자가 58.4%, 남자 41.6%였고, 건강기능식품 복용률(현재 복용 및 복용 경험 포함)은 67.4%, 한약 복용률은 59.2%로 나타났다. 건강기능식품 선호율은57.6%, 한약 선호율은 42.4%로 건강기능식품 선호율이 더 높았으며, 그 이유로 건강기능식품을 선호한 그룹은 복용하기 편리해서(54%), 한약을 선호한 그룹은 효능이 더 뛰어날 것 같아서(72.7%)가 가장 많았다. 한약 복용시 꼽는 가장 큰 문제점으로 ‘자녀가 먹기 불편해서’라는 응답이 가장 많았고(39.8%), 복용시 가장 불편한 점은 한약의 맛이나 냄새라고 응답하였다(61.1%). 한약 복용시 선호하는 제형은 환제가 가장 많았고(50.6%), 그 다음 시럽제(22.9%), 탕제(18.6%) 등의 순서로 나타났다. 치료 한약의 적정 가격에 대해, 일주일 당 3만원 이내(48,9%)가 가장 많았으며 한약을 먹어도 되는 나이는 ‘18개월 이후부터’(41.9%)라고 생각하는 학부모들이 가장 많았다.
결론 : 총 331명 중 건강기능식품 복용률(67.4%)이 한약 복용률(59.2%)보다 높으며 선호도 역시 건강기능식품이 더 높았다. 건강기능식품을 선호한 그룹은 복용의 편리성 때문에, 한약 그룹은 효능의 우수성 때문에 선택했으며, 한약 복용시 먹기 불편한 점과 한약의 맛과 냄새가 가장 큰 단점으로 작용했다. 환제로 된 한약이 복용하기 가장 편리할 것이라고 생각하였으며, 치료약의 적정 가격은 일주일에 3만원 이내로 시중 한약 가격대보다 낮은 가격을 선호, 한약을 먹어도 되는 나이는 18개월 이후부터라고 생각하는 학부모가 가장 많아 인식의 개선이 필요한 것으로 나타났다.
Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine the different preferences between herbal medicine and health functional food, and analyze the reasons for the preferences to figure out the better way of promoting herbal medicine.
Methods: 500 questionnaires has been handed out to the parents having elementary school students in O O, Gyeonggi-do province, and 331 questionnaires has been collected and evaluated for this study.
Results: Among the 331 responses, 58.4% were female, and 41.6% were male. The percentages of the subjects who consume health supplements and that of herbal medicines were 67.4% and 59.2% respectively. The preference rate for the health supplements was 57.6%, and for herbal medicines was 42.4%. The major reason of taking the health supplements was that they were convenient to consume(54%). The major reason for choosing herbal medicines was that people 'expect them to be more effective'(72.7%). However, the problem with Herbal medicine was their consumptions were inconvenient (39.8%), and their tastes was unfavorable. The most preferable form of herbal medication was pills(50.6%), followed by syrup(22.9%). Pertinent price for herbal medication, the participants were favorable to pay 30,000 within a week. For the question on when to start taking the herbal medication, 18 months after was the popular answers from the participants.
Conclusions : Among the 331 subjects, the percentage of consuming the health supplements (67.4%) was higher than that of consuming the Herbal Medicine (59.2%). Also the preference was higher than the Herbal Medicine. The reason why the participant preferred health supplements was that they were 'easy to take', The reason for subjects’ great preference in herbal medicine was based on their conception that herbal medicines were highly effective. When taking herbal medicine, participants addressed inconvenience in consuming, and unfavorable taste as the biggest problems. Also they thought that pills would be most convenient form of herbal medicine to consume. For the proper price, they were willing to pay less than 30000won, lower than a market price, per a week for the herbal medicine. Most parents thought that proper age of taking herbal medicine is ' 18month after the birth'. Taking these into account, different perspectives on herbal medicine is necessary at the very moment.