Center for Public Health and Ecosystem Research, Hanoi University of Public Health, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Institute of Environmental Health and Sustainable Development, Hanoi, Vietnam.
PLoS One. 2021 Oct 26;16(10):e0259069. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259069. eCollection 2021.
Inappropriate use of antibiotics has been one of the main contributors to antimicrobial resistance, particularly in Southeast Asia. Different genders are prone to different antibiotic use practices. The objective of this scoping review is to understand the extent and type of evidence available on gender differences in antibiotic use across Southeast Asia. The search strategy for this scoping review involved PubMed, Semantic Scholar, BioMed Central and ProQuest. Two-level screening was applied to identify the final sample of relevant sources. Thematic content analysis was then conducted on the selected final sources to identify recurring themes related to gender differences in antibiotic use and a narrative account was developed based on the themes. Recommendations for next steps regarding reducing inappropriate antibiotic use and gender considerations that need to be made when developing future interventions were also identified. Research on gender and antibiotic use remains scarce. Studies that discuss gender within the context of antibiotic use often mention differences between males and females in knowledge, attitudes and/or behaviour, however, do not explore reasons for these differences. Gender differences in antibiotic use were generally examined in terms of: (i) knowledge of antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance and (ii) practices related to antibiotic use. Evidence indicated that differences between males and females in knowledge and practices of antibiotic use varied greatly based on setting. This indicates that gender differences in antibiotic use are greatly contextual and intersect with other sociodemographic factors, particularly education and socioeconomic status. Educational interventions that are targeted to meet the specific needs of males and females and delivered through pharmacists and healthcare professionals were the most common recommendations for reducing inappropriate use of antibiotics in the community. Such targeted interventions require further qualitative research on factors influencing differences in knowledge and practices related to antibiotic use among males and females. In addition, there is also a need to strengthen monitoring and regulation practices to ensure accessibility to affordable, quality antibiotics through trusted sources.
抗生素的不恰当使用是导致抗菌药物耐药性的主要因素之一，尤其是在东南亚地区。不同性别在抗生素使用方面存在不同的行为。本范围综述的目的是了解在东南亚地区，关于性别差异与抗生素使用方面的证据的数量和类型。本范围综述的检索策略涉及 PubMed、Semantic Scholar、BioMed Central 和 ProQuest。采用两级筛选来确定相关来源的最终样本。然后对选定的最终来源进行主题内容分析，以确定与性别差异与抗生素使用相关的反复出现的主题，并根据这些主题制定叙述性说明。还确定了减少不适当使用抗生素和在制定未来干预措施时需要考虑性别的建议。关于性别与抗生素使用的研究仍然很少。在讨论抗生素使用方面的性别问题的研究中，通常提到男性和女性在知识、态度和/或行为方面的差异，但没有探讨这些差异的原因。抗生素使用方面的性别差异通常从以下两个方面进行检查：（i）抗生素使用和抗菌药物耐药性的知识，以及（ii）与抗生素使用相关的实践。证据表明，男性和女性在抗生素使用方面的知识和实践差异很大，具体取决于环境。这表明，抗生素使用方面的性别差异在很大程度上是背景相关的，并与其他社会人口因素（特别是教育和社会经济地位）相交织。针对男性和女性的具体需求，通过药剂师和医疗保健专业人员提供的教育干预措施是减少社区中抗生素不适当使用的最常见建议。这种有针对性的干预措施需要进一步进行影响男性和女性与抗生素使用相关的知识和实践差异的因素的定性研究。此外，还需要加强监测和监管措施，以确保通过可信赖的来源获得负担得起的、高质量的抗生素。
