A Survey on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice About Antibiotic Prescribing and Resistance Among Medical Practitioners in Kenya

Published: 10 January 2022| Version 2 | DOI: 10.17632/fmw97xwvdt.2
Contributors:
Moses Kamita,
,
, Dominic Mureithi,
,
,
,
,

Description

Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health threat worldwide and especially in developing countries. Irrational antibiotic prescription as well as lack of the requisite knowledge and awareness on proper antibiotic use are major drivers of antibiotic resistance. In Kenya, although the Ministry of Health has developed antibiotic use guidelines, these guidelines are not widely followed. Antibiotic prescription is, therefore, hugely at the discretion of the clinician. It is thus necessary to understand the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of antibiotic prescription among medical practitioners in the country. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) among antibiotic prescribers in three counties (Kiambu, Nakuru, and Bungoma) in Kenya. This was a cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire. Simple descriptive statistics were used to generate frequencies, percentages, and proportions. Where necessary, univariate analyses such as Pearson’s Chi-Square were performed to compare proportions for statistical significance. The study used a structured self-administered questionnaire, which was developed in consultation with experts on antimicrobial resistance as well as previous studies (1). The survey instrument was a seven-part series questionnaire, with each series containing a set of questions intended to capture standardized responses. The questions ranged from those targeting general information responses to those that assessed knowledge, attitude, and practice in using antimicrobials. The first part entailed general questions on the number of years the respondent had worked since graduation from medical school, their current department, and designation. The second part comprised of the prescription pattern and the questions included frequency of prescribing antibiotics and use of antibiotic prescription guidelines when prescribing. The third part focused on the awareness and attitude on the current scope of antibiotic resistance while part four required the respondents to describe their confidence in antibiotic knowledge in prescribing and whether they consult their colleagues when prescribing. In part five, the source of information on antibiotic prescription and resistance was sought and part six aimed to know what guides their judgment when prescribing antibiotics. The last part included questions on the knowledge of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the management of their infections. Both the data obtained and the questionnaire tool used to collect the data are shared. References 1. Gitaka, Jesse, Moses Kamita, Dominic Mureithi, Davies Ndegwa, Moses Masika, Geoffrey Omuse, Moses Ngari et al. "Combating antibiotic resistance using guidelines and enhanced stewardship in Kenya: a protocol for an implementation science approach." BMJ open 10, no. 3 (2020): e030823.

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Institutions

Mount Kenya University

Categories

Antimicrobial Resistance, Knowledge Attitudes Practice Theory

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