Knowledge, attitude and practice of health professionals about probiotic use in Ahmedabad, India

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice about probiotic use among health professionals of Ahmedabad, India. Design/methodology/approach A structured questionnaire was prepared. The questionnaire consisted of 12 close-ended questions related to definition, mechanism of action, safety consideration, health benefits, sources and four questions to assess their attitude and practice about probiotics. Total 267 healthcare professionals were requested to fill the questionnaire. Participants were doctors, medical students, nutritionists, nutrition students, pharmacists and pharmacy students. Findings Results of the survey revealed that most of the participants (93.25 per cent) were aware of the term probiotic, 66.66 per cent professionals were able to answer the right mechanism of action of probiotics. Only 54.68 per cent health professionals knew the health benefits correctly. There was a significant difference between the knowledge of professionals from different fields (p < 0.05). Medical students had highest knowledge scores, whereas nutrition students had lowest knowledge scores. There was no significant difference between knowledge of doctors, pharmacist and nutritionist, but knowledge of medical students was significantly higher than the nutrition students (p < 0.05). Majority of the respondents (85.76 per cent) believed that probiotics are useful for patients. Nearly 50 per cent preferred probiotic food over probiotic drugs. Almost half of them (48.68 per cent) agreed that probiotics can significantly affect the outcome of any therapy. Originality/value Nutritionists and medical students have shown to be more knowledgeable about probiotics than professionals and students of other fields. A positive and significant correlation was found between knowledge and attitude of healthcare providers.

Health Professionals’ Knowledge of Probiotics: An International Survey

“…More than 80% of pharmacists, allied health professionals, medical doctors, dentists, and other health professionals identified the correct definition of probiotics, whereas the corresponding percentage for registered nurses and midwives was 75. In the study by Soni et al [23], the knowledge of probiotics among health students of various disciplines also differed significantly, with approximately 93% of participants being aware of the term ‘probiotics’ and about 80% of them defining it correctly. A similar study in [32] also reported a low level of knowledge of probiotics among university students and emphasized the need for education about the nutritional and health benefits of fermented dairy products, especially those containing probiotics.…”

“…We found a statistically significant difference in the knowledge of the correct definition of probiotics in favor of females (χ 2 = 4.853; p = 0.028). Other studies have reported different results, ranging from non-significant differences [23,34] to male participants having a higher knowledge [37].…”

“…Some health professionals are confused about yoghurts, cultured milks, and fermented foods because they do not understand that such products do not necessarily contain probiotics, whereas others believe that probiotics only work in the form of tablets, powders, or capsules [22]. Several health professionals think that foods containing probiotics are a better way to ingest probiotics than probiotic drugs because of the synergistic effects between food components and probiotics and because food enhances the stability of consumed probiotics [23]. There is a growing body of scientific evidence showing the beneficial health effects of probiotic fermented dairy foods on a wide variety of diseases including gut disorders (e.g., irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, and diarrhea), infections (e.g., antibiotic-associated diarrhea, Clostridium difficile , and Helicobacter pylori ) as well as metabolic disorders and cancer [22,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49].…”

“…The questions were modeled based on those used in previously published studies on the knowledge of probiotics [22,23,24,25,26]. The survey was divided into three sections.…”

Knowledge, Attitudes and Understanding of Probiotics Among Pediatricians in Different Regions of Saudi Arabia

“…The questions were modeled and changed based on those used in previously published studies on the knowledge of probiotics. 8 The questionnaire consists of 15 items in 3 subscales: demographics and practice characteristics (5 items); de nition and knowledge of probiotics (9 items); and source of probiotics -related information (1item). The survey includes multiple-choice questions.…”