ANTIMICROBIAL STEWARDSHIP: KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PERCEPTIONS OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE STUDENTS, IN A TERTIARY UNIVERSITY IN SOUTH AFRICA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17501/24246735.2024.9202Keywords:
antimicrobial stewardship, plant health, agricultural science, antimicrobial resistanceAbstract
The excessive use of antimicrobials in agriculture significantly contributes to the development of antimicrobial resistance in human and animal health, and impacts food safety, food security, and the economy of the country. In the fight against antimicrobial resistance equipping future professionals and developing a coordinated intervention designed to improve use of antimicrobial agents is essential in the agriculture sector. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of final-year students enrolled in plant-related agricultural science programs at the University in South Africa on antimicrobial stewardship. A descriptive cross-sectional study design using a self-administered questionnaire was utilized. The participants were final-year students enrolled in agricultural science programs specializing in plant-related studies. Data was analysed using the IBM SPSS version 28 statistical software. A total of 28 participants which was a 68.29% response rate was attained. The participants demonstrated a solid understanding of antimicrobial stewardship as they all correctly described its role; however, some misconceptions regarding important concepts were observed. The participants demonstrated a positive attitude towards antimicrobial resistance prevention, however, 28.6% felt it is an extra burden. They also recognized the global seriousness of antimicrobial resistance and its threat to them and their families, however, only 32.1% of them felt adequately prepared to contribute to the fight against it. Furthermore, there was moderate, positive association between the participants' overall AMS knowledge and their perception. The association between participants' perceptions and attitudes was found to be moderate and negative. No association was found between their AMS knowledge and their attitude. This study underscores the need to focus on perceptions and attitudes in the preparation of future agricultural science professionals on antimicrobial stewardship.
Downloads
References
Adisasmito, W.B., Almuhairi, S., Behravesh, C.B., Bilivogui, P., Bukachi, S.A., Casas, N., Becerra, N.C., Charron, D.F., Chaudhary, A., Zanella, J.R.C. and Cunningham, A.A. (2022). One Health: A new definition for a sustainable and healthy future. PLoS Pathogens, 18(6), p.e1010537.
Amuguni, H., Bikaako, W., Naigaga, I., and Bazeyo, W. (2019). Building a framework for the design and implementation of One Health curricula in East and Central Africa: OHCEAs One Health training modules development process. One Health, 7.
Ancillotti, M., Eriksson, S., Veldwijk, J., Nihlén Fahlquist, J., Andersson, D. I. and Godskesen, T. (2018). Public awareness and individual responsibility needed for judicious use of antibiotics: a qualitative study of public beliefs and perceptions. BMC Public Health, 18, 1-9.
Ayukekbong, J. A., Ntemgwa, M and Atabe, A. N. (2017). The threat of antimicrobial resistance in developing countries causes and control strategies. Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control, 6(1), 1-8.
Bartlett, J. G., Gilbert, D. N and Spellberg, B. (2013). Seven Ways to Preserve the Miracle of Antibiotics. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 56, 1445-1450.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2020, February). Saving lives by taking a One Health approach: connecting human, animal, and environmental health. National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) One Health Office. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/pdfs/OneHealth-FactSheet-FINAL.pdf. Accessed: 27 January 2024.
Chang, Q., Wang, W., Regev-Yochay, G., Lipsitch, M., and Hanage, W. P. (2015). Antibiotics in agriculture and the risk to human health: how worried should we be? Evol. Appl. 8, 240–245. doi: 10.1111/eva.12185
Chen, Z., Cao, C. and Yang, G. (2020). Coordinated multi-sectoral efforts needed to address the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons from China and the United States. Global Health Research and Policy, 5(1), p.22.
Chin, J. H. and Mansori, S. (2019). Theory of planned behavior and health belief model: Females’ intention on breast cancer screening. Cogent Psychology, 6(1), 1647927.
Da Silva Carvalho, C. M. (2021). Knowledge and Perceptions of Antibiotic Resistance Stewardship among Prehealth and Agriculture Students.
Davies, D. S., Shallcross, L. and Watson, J. (2015). Global overview. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) CONTROL 2015, 11.
Fasina, F. O., LeRoux-Pullen, L., Smith, P., Debusho, L. K., Shittu, A., Jajere, S. M., Olubunmi G., Van Dyk, D., Abubakar, M.S., Onakpa, M.M., Ali, M.M., Yousuf, H.S. and Sirdar, M. M. (2020). Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions Associated with Antimicrobial Stewardship Among Veterinary Students: A Multi-Country Survey from Nigeria, South Africa, and Sudan. Frontiers in Public Health, 8, 630.
Fetensa, G., Wakuma, B., Tolossa, T., Fekadu, G., Bekuma, T.T., Fayisa, L., Etafa, W., Bekela, T., Besho, M., Hiko, N. and Bayou Bekele, M. (2020). Knowledge and attitude towards antimicrobial resistance of graduating health science students of Wollega University. Infection and Drug Resistance, pp.3937-3944.
Fishman, N., Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), and Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). (2012). Policy Statement on Antimicrobial Stewardship by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), and the Paediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS). Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 33(4), 322-327.
Heymann, D.L., Chen, L., Takemi, K., Fidler, D.P., Tappero, J.W., Thomas, M.J., Kenyon, T.A., Frieden, T.R., Yach, D., Nishtar, S. and Kalache, A. (2015). Global health security: the wider lessons from the West African Ebola virus disease epidemic. The Lancet, 385(9980), pp.1884-1901.
Jones, C. L., Jensen, J. D., Scherr, C. L., Brown, N. R., Christy, K. and Weaver, J. (2015). The health belief model as an explanatory framework in communication research: exploring parallel, serial, and moderated mediation. Health communication, 30(6), 566-576.
Kalungia, A.C., Mwambula, H., Munkombwe, D., Marshall, S., Schellack, N., May, C., Jones, A.S.C. and Godman, B. (2019). Antimicrobial stewardship knowledge and perception among physicians and pharmacists at leading tertiary teaching hospitals in Zambia: implications for future policy and practice. Journal of chemotherapy, 31(7-8), pp.378-387.
Kamoto, A. (2020). Knowledge, attitude and perception on antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance among final year medical students in the College of Medicine, Malawi. Malawi Medical Journal, 32(3), 120-123.
Lippold, M. A., Coffman, D. L and Greenberg, M. T. (2014). Investigating the potential causal relationship between parental knowledge and youth risky behavior: a propensity score analysis. Prevention science: the official journal of the Society for Prevention Research, 15(6), 869–878. doi:10.1007/s11121-013-0443-1.
Lubwama, M., Onyuka, J., Ayazika, K.T., Ssetaba, L.J., Siboko, J., Daniel, O. and Mushi, M.F. (2021). Knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions about antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance among final year undergraduate medical and pharmacy students at three universities in East Africa. PLoS One, 16(5), p.e0251301.
Mackenzie, J. S. and Jeggo, M. (2019). The One Health approach. Why is it so important? Tropical medicine and infectious disease, 4(2), 88.
Miller, S. A., Ferreira, J. P. and LeJeune, J. T. (2022). Antimicrobial use and resistance in plant agriculture: a one health perspective. Agriculture, 12(2), 289.
Muleme, J., Kankya, C., Ssempebwa, J. C., Mazeri, S. and Muwonge, A. (2017). A framework for integrating qualitative and quantitative data in knowledge, attitude, and practice studies: a case study of pesticide usage in eastern Uganda. Frontiers in public health, 5, 318.
Murray, C.J., Ikuta, K.S., Sharara, F., Swetschinski, L., Aguilar, G.R., Gray, A., Han, C., Bisignano, C., Rao, P., Wool, E. and Johnson, S.C. (2022). Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance in 2019: a systematic analysis. The Lancet, 399(10325), pp.629-655.
National Department of Health (NDoH). (2017). Implementation of the Antimicrobial Strategy in South Africa: One Health Approach and Governance. 1–39. Available at: http://nahf.co.za/guidelines-on-the-implementation-of-the-antimicrobialstrategy-in-south-africa-2017-07-14/. Accessed: 26 March 2021.
National Department of Health (NDoH). (2018). Antimicrobial Resistance National Strategy Framework 2014-2024. Available at: http://www.health.gov.za/index.php/component/phocadownload/category/199-antimicrobial-resistance. Accessed: 26 March 2021.
Nelson, D.W., Moore, J.E. and Rao, J.R. (2019). Antimicrobial resistance (AMR): significance to food quality and safety. Food quality and safety, 3(1), pp.15-22.
O’Neil, J. (2014). Review on Antibiotic Resistance. Antimicrobial Resistance: Tackling a Crisis for the Health and Wealth of Nations. Health Wealth Nations, 1-16. Available at: https://amr-review.org/sites/default/files/AMR%20Review%20Paper%20-%20Tackling%20a%20crisis%20for%20the%20health%20and%20wealth%20of%20nations_1.pdf.
Smith, P. W., Agbaje, M., LeRoux-Pullen, L., Van Dyk, D., Debusho, L. K., Shittu, A. and Fasina, F. O. (2019). Implication of the Knowledge and Perceptions of Veterinary Students of Antimicrobial Resistance for Future Prescription of Antimicrobials in Animal Health, South Africa. Journal of the South African Veterinary Association, 90(1), 1-8.
Song, H. Y., and Park, S. (2020). An analysis of the correlation between personality and visiting place using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS), 14(5), 1951-1966.
Theuretzbacher, U., Baraldi, E., Ciabuschi, F. and Callegari, S. (2023). Challenges and shortcomings of antibacterial discovery projects. Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 29(5), pp.610-615.
Velazquez-Meza, M. E., Galarde-López, M., Carrillo-Quiróz, B. and Alpuche-Aranda, C. M. (2022). Antimicrobial resistance: One Health approach. Veterinary World, 15(3), 743.
Verhaegen, M., Bergot, T., Liebana, E., Stancanelli, G., Streissl, F., Mingeot-Leclercq, M.P., Mahillon, J. and Bragard, C. (2023). On the use of antibiotics to control plant pathogenic bacteria: a genetic and genomic perspective. Frontiers in Microbiology, 14.
Wasserman, S., Potgieter, S., Shoul, E., Constant, D., Stewart, A., Mendelson, M. and Boyles, T. H. (2017). South African Medical Students’ Perceptions and Knowledge About Antibiotic Resistance and Appropriate Prescribing: Are We Providing Adequate Training to Future Prescribers? South African Medical Journal, 107(5), 405-410.
World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2018). Report 11th FAO/WHO Joint Meeting on Pesticide Management 9–12 October 2018 Rome.
World Health Organization. (2020). Antimicrobial Resistance. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance. Accessed: 27 March 2021.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Bheki Magunga
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The Conference Proceedings of International Conference on Public Health is entirely Open Access, which means that all published content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this Proceedings journal without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.
Authors who publish with Conference Proceedings agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the Proceedings of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this conference proceedings.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the proceeding's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this conference proceedings.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
Licensing
Published articles are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
