TY - JOUR
T1 - Knowledge and attitude towards antibiotic use and resistance among Arab population
T2 - A questionnaire-based study of 11 countries from the Middle East and North Africa
AU - Hassan, Bassam Abdul Rasool
AU - Mohammed, Ali Haider
AU - Al-Jewari, Watheq Mohammed
AU - Blebil, Ali
AU - Dujaili, Juman
AU - Wayyes, Abdulrasool M.
AU - Malaeb, Diana
AU - Dabbous, Mariam
AU - Othman, Gamil
AU - Mustafa Madani, Abdelhaleem
AU - Talib Al-Zaabi, Ahmed
AU - Zerrouki, Amira
AU - Darwish, Rula M.
AU - Abu Alhija, Sara
AU - Drira, Chema
AU - Ikram, Fazaa
AU - Jaber, Ammar Ali Saleh
AU - Alsahi Al-Zaabi, Amna Mohamed Mohamed
AU - Kohaf, Neveen A.
AU - Omran, Safa
AU - Abdelaziz Mohamed, Enas
AU - Hassan Nasr, Muhammed
AU - Fathelrahman, Ahmed Ibrahim
AU - Alshahrani, Ali M.
AU - Alsammarraie, Ahmed Zuhair Abdulhameed
AU - Kadhim Alabboodi, Musaab
AU - Al-Tukmagi, Haydar F.
AU - Abdulwahid Al-Ani, Omar
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
PY - 2023/6
Y1 - 2023/6
N2 - Objectives: Antibiotic usage has evolved over the years among the Arab population, and it has also gone under misuse resulting in the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Therefore, the current study aimed to address this issue by evaluating the level of knowledge and attitude of Arab population towards antibiotic usage and AMR to develop a pathway to reduce the risk of antibiotic resistance. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among Arab population, including 11 countries from the Middle East and North Africa. A validated and translated questionnaire, consisting of 34 questions, was adopted to achieve the study objectives. Two phases of data collection (online and offline) were performed, and SPSS was used for data analysis. Key findings: Three thousand three hundred and nineteen participants were successfully recruited, and the mean age was 37.6 ± 11.73. Approximately 63% of participants wrongly answered they should stop antibiotics when they feel better, and 73.3% of them thought antibiotics could treat cold and flu. Nearly half of the respondents indicated that they were uncertain of how antibiotic resistance affects the body (48.1%), and they were unaware if it could affect them or their families (63.1%). While the majority of the respondents were prescribed antibiotics by a doctor, over half of them were not given any advice on how to take them. Our data showed a significant relationship between respondents' demographic data (e.g. country, age and education) and their knowledge and attitude. Conclusions: Participants had poor knowledge of antibiotics and AMR; thus, efforts are needed to conduct health campaigns in public places and create and implement programmes aiming to raise knowledge and awareness of people in the Arab regions. These could aid to curb the risk of antibiotic resistance and increase the chance of successful treatment for infectious diseases.
AB - Objectives: Antibiotic usage has evolved over the years among the Arab population, and it has also gone under misuse resulting in the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Therefore, the current study aimed to address this issue by evaluating the level of knowledge and attitude of Arab population towards antibiotic usage and AMR to develop a pathway to reduce the risk of antibiotic resistance. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among Arab population, including 11 countries from the Middle East and North Africa. A validated and translated questionnaire, consisting of 34 questions, was adopted to achieve the study objectives. Two phases of data collection (online and offline) were performed, and SPSS was used for data analysis. Key findings: Three thousand three hundred and nineteen participants were successfully recruited, and the mean age was 37.6 ± 11.73. Approximately 63% of participants wrongly answered they should stop antibiotics when they feel better, and 73.3% of them thought antibiotics could treat cold and flu. Nearly half of the respondents indicated that they were uncertain of how antibiotic resistance affects the body (48.1%), and they were unaware if it could affect them or their families (63.1%). While the majority of the respondents were prescribed antibiotics by a doctor, over half of them were not given any advice on how to take them. Our data showed a significant relationship between respondents' demographic data (e.g. country, age and education) and their knowledge and attitude. Conclusions: Participants had poor knowledge of antibiotics and AMR; thus, efforts are needed to conduct health campaigns in public places and create and implement programmes aiming to raise knowledge and awareness of people in the Arab regions. These could aid to curb the risk of antibiotic resistance and increase the chance of successful treatment for infectious diseases.
KW - antibiotic resistance
KW - antibiotics
KW - Arab population
KW - attitude
KW - knowledge
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85163839061
U2 - 10.1093/jphsr/rmad014
DO - 10.1093/jphsr/rmad014
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85163839061
SN - 1759-8885
VL - 14
SP - 131
EP - 140
JO - Journal of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research
JF - Journal of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research
IS - 2
ER -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being