Version 1
: Received: 13 January 2024 / Approved: 14 January 2024 / Online: 15 January 2024 (10:41:41 CET)
How to cite:
Abdi, A.M.; Abdiwali, S.A.; Abdi, H.; Bedel, K.; Yusuf, M.; Mohamed, A.; Ahmed, H. Community use of antibiotics in Hargeisa, Somaliland: A qualitative study. Preprints2024, 2024011064. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.1064.v1
Abdi, A.M.; Abdiwali, S.A.; Abdi, H.; Bedel, K.; Yusuf, M.; Mohamed, A.; Ahmed, H. Community use of antibiotics in Hargeisa, Somaliland: A qualitative study. Preprints 2024, 2024011064. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.1064.v1
Abdi, A.M.; Abdiwali, S.A.; Abdi, H.; Bedel, K.; Yusuf, M.; Mohamed, A.; Ahmed, H. Community use of antibiotics in Hargeisa, Somaliland: A qualitative study. Preprints2024, 2024011064. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.1064.v1
APA Style
Abdi, A.M., Abdiwali, S.A., Abdi, H., Bedel, K., Yusuf, M., Mohamed, A., & Ahmed, H. (2024). Community use of antibiotics in Hargeisa, Somaliland: A qualitative study. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.1064.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Abdi, A.M., Abdirahman Mohamed and Hodan Ahmed. 2024 "Community use of antibiotics in Hargeisa, Somaliland: A qualitative study" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.1064.v1
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance currently considered as a global concern mostly impacting low- and middle-income nations and it can be accelerated by antibiotic abuse and other forms of excessive antibiotic use. There is little data on community practices and understanding in Somaliland on antibiotics and antibiotic resistance. To provide evidence-based communication intervention techniques for safer antibiotic use the qualitative study was done from November 1st to December 1st, 2023, and consisted of in-depth semi-structured interviews with adult heads of households in Hargeisa, Somaliland, using purposive and snowball sampling strategies. Participants were chosen from a variety of medical and educational backgrounds. Thematic analysis was used to investigate community knowledge and antibiotic use in the sampled population. To investigate the level of awareness on antibiotic use, 20 respondents (households) were questioned (Table 1). Of these, 17 (85%) became aware of the term antibiotic itself, with 7 (35%) being prescribed by a physician, 9 (45%) receiving laboratory diagnosis when using antibiotics, and 6 (30%) becoming aware of the potential risks associated with improper antibiotic use. This study highlighted the community's lack of understanding about antibiotic use. The majority of the study participants knew the phrase "antibiotic" but had no idea what it meant, the side effect of the antibiotics and other medical science related information regarding how to safely use antibiotics. According to the findings, initiatives for antibiotic stewardship should focus on community education to prevent antibiotic misuse or abuse.
Public Health and Healthcare, Public Health and Health Services
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
