Joji Ronni Mol, Kumar Archana Prabu, Almarabheh Amer, Al-Mahmeed Ali, Shadab Mohd, Bindayna Khalid, Shahid Mohammad
Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.
Department of Medical Education, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.
BMC Public Health. 2024 Dec 30;24(1):3611. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-21165-6.
Understanding awareness of antibiotics is crucial in identifying the attitudes of people which could subsequently help shape campaigns and policies addressing this problem. The study aimed to explore awareness of antibiotics use and antibiotic resistance among faculty and staff at the medical institution.
All the study participants (faculty & staff) were asked to complete the survey. The survey consisted of questions ranging from knowledge and use of antibiotics to knowledge about antibiotic resistance. Ninety participants responded for the quantitative survey. After the questionnaire administration, in-depth interviews were conducted with subgroups of faculty, technicians, and administrative staff. The researchers employed a purposive sampling strategy. Around 43 participants volunteered to participate in this interview.
The results showed that 92% of participants reported taking antibiotics, with the majority receiving them from licensed medical providers, while a smaller respondent (12.6%) self-medicated. The concept of "antibiotic resistance" was the most widely recognized, with 47.78% of participants indicating awareness, typically gained from healthcare personnel. The in-depth interviews revealed that the faculty group had the strongest basic knowledge about antibiotics and resistance. When it comes to consequences of ABR, participants mentioned the risk of repeated infection and spread of stronger strains of bacteria that might be difficult to treat soon. The most important suggestion provided by most participants was that the antibiotics should be taken only with a doctor's prescription and consumed for appropriate duration as suggested by the doctor.
Although the study revealed a strong understanding of antibiotics, awareness regarding antibiotic resistance remained low. The findings emphasize the importance of enhancing communication skills among health professionals and implementing stewardship programs to promote safe antibiotic use and raise awareness about antibiotic resistance.
了解人们对抗生素的认知对于确定其态度至关重要，这随后有助于制定解决该问题的宣传活动和政策。本研究旨在探讨医疗机构教职员工对抗生素使用和抗生素耐药性的认知情况。
所有研究参与者（教职员工）均被要求完成调查。该调查包括从抗生素的知识和使用到抗生素耐药性知识等一系列问题。90名参与者回应了定量调查。在问卷发放后，对教师、技术人员和行政人员亚组进行了深入访谈。研究人员采用了目的抽样策略。约43名参与者自愿参与此次访谈。
结果显示，92%的参与者报告服用过抗生素，其中大多数是从有执照的医疗提供者处获得，而较少一部分受访者（12.6%）自行用药。“抗生素耐药性”概念的认知最为广泛，47.78%的参与者表示知晓，通常是从医护人员那里了解到的。深入访谈表明，教师群体对抗生素和耐药性的基础知识掌握得最为扎实。当谈到抗生素耐药性的后果时，参与者提到了反复感染的风险以及可能难以很快治疗的更强细菌菌株的传播。大多数参与者给出的最重要建议是，抗生素应仅在医生处方下服用，并按医生建议的适当疗程服用。
尽管该研究显示人们对抗生素有较强的了解，但对抗生素耐药性的认知仍然较低。研究结果强调了提高卫生专业人员沟通技巧以及实施管理计划以促进安全使用抗生素和提高对抗生素耐药性认识的重要性。
