Adewusi Oluwafemi J, Cassidy Rebecca, Aboderin Aaron, Bailey Simon, Hotham Sarah
University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
Centre for Health Services Studies, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
BMJ Open. 2024 Dec 11;14(12):e081279. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-081279.
In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the persistent lack of access and high inappropriate use of antibiotics, which are fuelled by gender-related factors, continue to facilitate antimicrobial resistance. This in turn reduces the capacity to treat infectious diseases. However, there is a lack of clarity on the nature and extent of the available evidence on gender influence on access to antibiotics and antibiotic use behaviour. This proposed study will systematically review the available literature to map out the scope of evidence on gender differences and, importantly, the related factors influencing antibiotic use and access to antibiotics in LMICs.
This scoping review will be conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for scoping reviews. Major databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO and CINAHL) will be searched via the EBCOhost and Web of Science platforms for peer-reviewed articles. Title and abstract screening, as well as full paper review, will be conducted by a single reviewer, with 20% of identified citations reviewed independently by two other reviewers. A predefined excel spreadsheet will be used for data extraction and analysis. Findings will be presented thematically in a narrative summary and tables.
Obtaining ethics approval is not required for this study. The findings will contribute to understanding gender health inequalities and areas for further research on strategies to incorporate gender considerations in antimicrobial stewardship efforts in LMICs. The study findings will be disseminated through presentations in seminars, scientific conferences and publications in peer-reviewed journals.
在低收入和中等收入国家（LMICs），由于与性别相关的因素导致持续缺乏抗生素可及性以及抗生素的高不当使用，这继续助长了抗菌药物耐药性。这进而降低了治疗传染病的能力。然而，关于性别对获得抗生素及抗生素使用行为影响的现有证据的性质和范围尚不清楚。本拟议研究将系统回顾现有文献，以梳理出关于性别差异的证据范围，重要的是，梳理出影响低收入和中等收入国家抗生素使用及获得抗生素的相关因素。
本范围综述将按照系统评价和Meta分析的首选报告项目中范围综述的指南进行。将通过EBSCOhost和Web of Science平台在主要数据库（MEDLINE、PsycINFO和CINAHL）中检索同行评审文章。由一名评审员进行标题和摘要筛选以及全文评审，另外两名评审员将独立评审20%已识别的文献。将使用预定义的Excel电子表格进行数据提取和分析。研究结果将以主题形式呈现于叙述性总结和表格中。
本研究无需获得伦理批准。研究结果将有助于理解性别健康不平等问题以及在低收入和中等收入国家将性别因素纳入抗菌药物管理工作策略的进一步研究领域。研究结果将通过在研讨会、科学会议上的报告以及在同行评审期刊上发表来进行传播。
