Abstract:
Antimicrobial resistance poses one of the most significant medical challenges for humanity. The current burden is overwhelming and is projected to escalate rapidly, with predictions for 2050 indicating 10 million deaths per year due to antibiotic-resistant microorganisms. Enhancing public awareness and education on this topic is crucial in efforts to mitigate this issue. In our study, we translated an existing questionnaire on antimicrobial resistance into Portuguese, validated it, and applied it between December 2020 and March 2021 to a group of Portuguese students (n = 112) and science teachers (n = 95). A majority of the students surveyed (65.1%) incorrectly believed that antibiotics could treat colds/flus. As anticipated, the teachers outperformed the students in the questionnaire. However, difficulties with this topic were evident in both groups. Most notably, the misconception that the human body becomes resistant to antibiotics was prevalent among most participants (77.0% of students and 68.4% of teachers). Consistent with previous studies in other populations and geographic locations, our research reveals a worrying lack of knowledge about antimicrobial resistance among Portuguese students and science teachers. Consequently, it is deemed urgent to implement effective measures to raise awareness and educate on this topic.
摘要:
抗菌素耐药性是人类面临的最重大的医学挑战之一。目前的负担不堪重负,预计将迅速升级,2050年的预测表明,每年有1000万人死于抗生素抗性微生物。加强公众对这一主题的认识和教育对于减轻这一问题的努力至关重要。在我们的研究中,我们将现有的抗菌素耐药性调查问卷翻译成葡萄牙语,验证了它,并在2020年12月至2021年3月期间将其应用于一组葡萄牙学生(n=112)和科学教师(n=95)。大多数接受调查的学生(65.1%)错误地认为抗生素可以治疗感冒/流感。如预期,在问卷中,教师的表现优于学生。然而,在这两个群体中,这个主题的困难都很明显。最值得注意的是,大多数参与者(77.0%的学生和68.4%的教师)普遍存在人体对抗生素产生抗药性的误解.与以前在其他人群和地理位置的研究一致,我们的研究表明,葡萄牙学生和理科教师对抗菌素耐药性的认识令人担忧.因此,迫切需要采取有效措施,提高认识和教育这一主题。