ABSTRACT
(1) Background: Antimicrobial resistance causes significant disease burden in low- and middle-income countries. The objective of this paper is to describe antibiotic dispensing/prescribing practices and underlying factors associated with these practices among community-based healthcare workers. (2) Methods: Cross-sectional survey data were collected from private and public health facilities in 14 union councils, Lahore Pakistan. Respondents included physicians, nurses, lady health workers/volunteers, midwives, pharmacy and medicine shop employees, and medical technicians. Descriptive and bivariate analysis are used to present the data; (3) Results: 177 respondents completed the survey. In terms of weekly dispensing of antibiotics, the most common were Amoxicillin/Augmentin (2.3 [SD 1.5]), Cefixine (2.4 [SD 1.6]), and Azithromycin (2.5 [SD 2.1]). For children, antibiotics were more likely to be prescribed/dispensed for sore throat (54.3%/95) and diarrhea (48.9%/86). For adults, antibiotics were more likely to be prescribed/dispensed for sore throat (67.0%/118), diarrhea (59.7%/105) and burning sensation when urinating (55.7%/176). In total, 55.4% of respondents stated that they have sold partial antibiotic courses to patients/customers. A total of 44.6% of respondents incorrectly answered that antibiotics could be used for viral infections; (4) Conclusions: Data from this study and similar research emphasize the urgent need to implement community-based stewardship programs for all healthcare workers.
ABSTRACT
A cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted during August to November 2005 with 880 youths (16-24 years-old), including 412 males and 468 females in Nha Trang city, Vietnam. It aimed to examine the association between alcohol use and sexual behaviors by gender difference. The data revealed that the majority of respondents (65.9%) had consumed alcohol, 25.8% had sexual touching with boy/girl friends, and 10.1% of respondents had engaged in sexual experiences including vaginal sex, anal sex, and/or oral sex. Young men were significantly more likely to drink than young women were (p < 0.001), and alcohol use was significantly associated with engagement in sexual experiences (p < 0.001). There was a strong significant different between sexual touching and alcohol drinking among males (p < 0.001) and females (p < 0.001). Forty percent of young men who did not use condom in last sex and 45% of young men who had multiple sex partners were drinkers compared to 4.8% and 1.6% of non-drinkers, respectively. These significant findings will be baseline data for integrating and adapting into intervention programs for alcohol and HIV among Vietnamese youth.
