Article Figures

Purpose: The study looks at how Moringa oleifera capsules are used in pharmacies in Bangladesh. In addition, the goal is to understand how customers use and prefer moringa capsules. Besides that, the factors influencing the demand and how they do so is also of high interest. The factors are primarily socioeconomic, demographic and health-related problems.

Method: A cross-sectional survey has been conducted with 300 pharmacy representatives from rural and urban parts of Bangladesh. For this study, a stratified sampling approach was used. Data has been collected using structured questionnaires. Several topics of the questionnaire covered demographics, health conditions, purchase behaviors and recommendation sources. Multiple tests were done conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics.

Findings: The study reveals clear differences in moringa capsule sales between urban and rural areas. Urban areas display higher affinity for consumption (56.9 percent vs. 43.1 percent, p = 0.005). It could come from better access to pharmacies, awareness related to health trends, and a higher disposable income. Middle-aged customers (46 - 60 years) make up (67.2 percent) the most usage. They mainly use moringa to treat health issues, such as, diabetes and hypertension. In the case of health conditions such as, diabetes (40 percent overall, p = 0.024) and hypertension, which reflect moringa’s anti-diabetic and anti-hypertensive characteristics. The middle-class (55.2 percent) make up the strongest customer base as a result of health awareness and social media initiatives. Urban customers prefer tablets (67.1 percent) for convenience while rural customers prefer powder (23.9 percent) for the cost and traditional beliefs. Online reviews (43.4 percent) and social networks are strong influences on recommendation. In contrast, there is negligible input from doctors (1.9 percent) and healthcare professionals (17 percent) with little reason. Distribution is centered on Zila areas (56.9 percent) with limited penetration in other areas.

Conclusion: Moringa capsules have been gaining popularity in Bangladesh in steady manner among middle-aged population to be specific. There is a stronger demand for capsules in urban market. However, rural penetration and clinical endorsements leave a lot to be desired. Future efforts have to shift the focus towards rural distribution and affordable pricing with clinical validation.