Skip to content
2000
Volume 21, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 1573-4013
  • E-ISSN: 2212-3881

Abstract

Background

The use of probiotics is increasing with time. However, there is limited data available related to the referral and knowledge of pediatricians regarding the use of probiotics.

Objectives

The objective of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of pediatricians toward the referral of probiotics in government hospitals located in Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 196 pediatricians who participated in this study. A well-structured, self-administered questionnaire was distributed among participants to assess their knowledge, attitude, and practices towards probiotics referral. The questionnaire was based on four sections including questions related to socio-demographics, knowledge, attitude, and practices about probiotics’ use and referral. The obtained data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and, the chi-square test in SPSS.

Results

The findings indicated that the majority of participants had fair knowledge (57.7%), a positive attitude (69.4%), and good practices (80.1%) towards the referral of probiotics products. The chi-square test results revealed that the gender difference of participants was significantly associated with the knowledge (-value = 0.042). Whereas, the knowledge of participants did not vary significantly concerning the increase in the working experience (-value = 0.075). In addition, the attitudes and practices of pediatricians were also found to be non-significantly related to the gender difference and working experience of the participants. Furthermore, a significant correlation was found between the attitude and practices (-value = 0.019), and between knowledge and practices (-value = 0.000). Whereas, no significant correlation was found between knowledge and attitude (-value = 0.197).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the majority of the participants in this study had fair knowledge, a positive attitude, and good practices towards the referral of probiotics. Although there are certain limitations to this study, it is the first study that provides insights into the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of pediatricians in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Consequently, it is suggested that additional training programs and healthcare policies should be initiated to further promote the clinical applications of probiotics by enhancing the knowledge of pediatricians as well as other healthcare professionals in the country.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/cnf/10.2174/0115734013300577240428105436
2024-05-13
2025-07-09
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. SantacroceL. CharitosI.A. BottalicoL. A successful history: Probiotics and their potential as antimicrobials.Expert Rev. Anti Infect. Ther.201917863564510.1080/14787210.2019.164559731318576
    [Google Scholar]
  2. LiP. GuQ. YangL. YuY. WangY. Characterization of extracellular vitamin B12 producing Lactobacillus plantarum strains and assessment of the probiotic potentials.Food Chem.201723449450110.1016/j.foodchem.2017.05.03728551266
    [Google Scholar]
  3. SharmaG. ImS.H. Probiotics as a potential immunomodulating pharmabiotics in allergic diseases: Current status and future prospects.Allergy Asthma Immunol. Res.201810657559010.4168/aair.2018.10.6.57530306743
    [Google Scholar]
  4. HuS. CaoX. WuY. MeiX. XuH. WangY. ZhangX. GongL. LiW. Effects of probiotic Bacillus as an alternative of antibiotics on digestive enzymes activity and intestinal integrity of piglets.Front. Microbiol.20189242710.3389/fmicb.2018.0242730405544
    [Google Scholar]
  5. DeyG. Non-dairy probiotic foods: Innovations and market trends.Innovations in technologies for fermented food and beverage industries Springer, Cham2018159173
    [Google Scholar]
  6. DayR.L.J. HarperA.J. WoodsR.M. DaviesO.G. HeaneyL.M. Probiotics: Current landscape and future horizons.Future Sci. OA201954FSO39110.4155/fsoa‑2019‑000431114711
    [Google Scholar]
  7. SuezJ. ZmoraN. SegalE. ElinavE. The pros, cons, and many unknowns of probiotics.Nat. Med.201925571672910.1038/s41591‑019‑0439‑x31061539
    [Google Scholar]
  8. MaiT.T. Thi ThuP. Thi HangH. TrangT.T.T. YuiS. ShigehisaA. TienV.T. DungT.V. NgaP.B. HungN.T. TuyenL.D. Efficacy of probiotics on digestive disorders and acute respiratory infections: A controlled clinical trial in young Vietnamese children.Eur. J. Clin. Nutr.202175351352010.1038/s41430‑020‑00754‑932981933
    [Google Scholar]
  9. IslamS.U. Clinical uses of probiotics.Medicine2016955e265810.1097/MD.000000000000265826844491
    [Google Scholar]
  10. HojsakI. Probiotics in children: What is the evidence?Pediatr. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. Nutr.201720313914610.5223/pghn.2017.20.3.13929026729
    [Google Scholar]
  11. HasosahM. QurashiM. BalkhairA. AlzahraniZ. AlabbasiA. AlzahraniM. AlnahdiW. ShafeiS. BafaqihM. KhanM. Knowledge, attitudes, and understanding of probiotics among pediatricians in different regions of Saudi Arabia.BMC Med. Educ.20212116810.1186/s12909‑021‑02499‑w33478488
    [Google Scholar]
  12. SansottaN. PeroniD.G. RomanoS. RugianoA. VuilleumierP. BavieraG. Italian Society of Pediatric Allergy, Immunology (SIAIP), Microbiota Committee, Italy The good bugs: The use of probiotics in pediatrics.Curr. Opin. Pediatr.201931566166910.1097/MOP.000000000000080831356353
    [Google Scholar]
  13. WilkinsT. SequoiaJ. Probiotics for gastrointestinal conditions: A summary of the evidence.Am. Fam. Physician201796317017828762696
    [Google Scholar]
  14. AbidM.B. KohC.J. Probiotics in health and disease: Fooling Mother Nature?Infection201947691191710.1007/s15010‑019‑01351‑031478123
    [Google Scholar]
  15. GasbarriniG. BonviciniF. GramenziA. Probiotics history.J. Clin. Gastroenterol.201650Suppl. 2S116S11910.1097/MCG.000000000000069727741152
    [Google Scholar]
  16. FaujdarS.S. MehrishiP. BishnoiS. SharmaA. Role of probiotics in human health and disease: An update.Int. J. Curr. Microbiol. Appl. Sci.20165332834410.20546/ijcmas.2016.503.040
    [Google Scholar]
  17. DastoorP. PatilR. UndeM. PatilS. Probiotics for life–Part I general health perspectives.J. Dent. Allied Sci.2018727580
    [Google Scholar]
  18. VillenaJ. KitazawaH. Probiotic microorganisms: A closer look.Microorganisms20178517
    [Google Scholar]
  19. AgarwalS. MisraR. VishvkarmaP. SaxenaA. Probiotics-A novel approach for health benefits.World J. Pharm. Pharm. Sci.2016511455475
    [Google Scholar]
  20. YadavA.N. VermaP. KumarR. KumarS. KumarV. KumarK. Probiotic microbes: Biodiversity, mechanisms of action and potential role in human health.Molecules2017
    [Google Scholar]
  21. PuttaS YarlaNS LakkappaDB ImandiSB MallaRR ChaitanyaAK Probiotics: Supplements, food, pharmaceutical industry. Therapeutic, probiotic, and unconventional foodsElsevier2018152510.1016/B978‑0‑12‑814625‑5.00002‑9
    [Google Scholar]
  22. KumarH. SalminenS. Probiotics.Encyclopedia of Food and Health”.OxfordAcademic Press201610.1016/B978‑0‑12‑384947‑2.00570‑5
    [Google Scholar]
  23. MeybodiN MortazavianA Probiotic supplements and food products: A comparative approach.Biochem Pharmacol2017622167
    [Google Scholar]
  24. MollakhaliliMN Probiotic supplements and food products: Comparison for different targets.Appl. Food Biotechnol.201743123132
    [Google Scholar]
  25. SenM. Role of probiotics in health and disease–A review.Int. J. Adv. Life Sci. Res.201922111
    [Google Scholar]
  26. OrganizationW.H. Malnutrition. Key facts.World Health Organization201817
    [Google Scholar]
  27. MosisaD. AbomaM. GirmaT. ShibruA. Determinants of diarrheal diseases among under five children in Jimma Geneti District, Oromia region, Ethiopia, 2020: A case-control study.BMC Pediatr.202121153210.1186/s12887‑021‑03022‑234847912
    [Google Scholar]
  28. National nutrition and health survey (NNHS) 2018. NBS, UNICEF2018Available from: https://www.unicef.org/nigeria/reports/national-nutrition-and-health-survey-nnhs-2018
  29. FreseS.A. HuttonA.A. ContrerasL.N. ShawC.A. PalumboM.C. CasaburiG. XuG. DavisJ.C.C. LebrillaC.B. HenrickB.M. FreemanS.L. BarileD. GermanJ.B. MillsD.A. SmilowitzJ.T. UnderwoodM.A. Persistence of supplemented bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis EVC001 in breastfed infants.MSphere201726e00501-1710.1128/mSphere.00501‑1729242832
    [Google Scholar]
  30. BrodmannT. EndoA. GueimondeM. VinderolaG. KneifelW. de VosW.M. SalminenS. Gómez-GallegoC. Safety of novel microbes for human consumption: Practical examples of assessment in the European Union.Front. Microbiol.20178172510.3389/fmicb.2017.0172528955311
    [Google Scholar]
  31. SoniR. TankK. JainN. Knowledge, attitude and practice of health professionals about probiotic use in Ahmedabad, India.Nutr. Food Sci.201848112513510.1108/NFS‑02‑2017‑0032
    [Google Scholar]
  32. AbabnehM. ElrashedN. Al-AzayzihA. Evaluation of Jordanian healthcare providers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practice patterns towards probiotics.Expert Rev. Pharmacoecon. Outcomes Res.2020201939710.1080/14737167.2019.160935431023117
    [Google Scholar]
  33. ChukwuE. NwaokorieF. YisauJ. CokerA. Assessment of the knowledge and perception of probiotics among medical science students and practitioners in Lagos state.Br. J. Med. Med. Res.20155101239124610.9734/BJMMR/2015/13676
    [Google Scholar]
  34. FijanS. FrauwallnerA. VargaL. LangerholcT. RogeljI. LorberM. LewisP. Povalej BržanP. Health professionals’ knowledge of probiotics: an international survey.Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health20191617312810.3390/ijerph1617312831466273
    [Google Scholar]
  35. ArshadM.S. SaqlainM. MajeedA. ImranI. SaeedH. SaleemM.U. AbrarM.A. IslamM. HashmiF. AkbarM. ChaudhryM.O. RamzanB. RasoolM.F. Cross-sectional study to assess the healthcare professionals’ knowledge, attitude and practices about probiotics use in Pakistan.BMJ Open2021117e04749410.1136/bmjopen‑2020‑04749434321300
    [Google Scholar]
  36. EyadA. HamadM.R.A.A. KenanM.R.A. FanniA.K.T. Medical students’ knowledge of probiotics and their health usage in Jordan.Int. J. Med. Res. Health Sci.201984124130
    [Google Scholar]
  37. BasrowiR.W. KrisnamurtiD. WibowoY. VandenplasY. Factors influencing probiotics recommendation among pediatricians in Indonesia.Age20196044
    [Google Scholar]
  38. Otuto AmaraucheC. Assessing the awareness and knowledge on the use of probiotics by healthcare professionals in Nigeria.J. Young Pharm.201581535510.5530/jyp.2016.1.12
    [Google Scholar]
  39. RichardA.K. ChristianY.K. HélèneA-T.A. ChristelleS-A. RolandY.K. SahiG.J.L. RoméoA.L. IburaimaA. AlexiseA. VincentA.K. Knowledge, attitudes and practices of the health personnel of the pediatric and gynecology-obstetrics departments of the Bouaké University Hospital Center (CHU) regarding the intestinal microbiota and the first 1000 days of life.Open J. Pediatr.2021111193410.4236/ojped.2021.111003
    [Google Scholar]
  40. AzmanH. Knowledge, attitude and practice in relation to effects of probiotics in food among medical faculty students in a Malaysian public university.Masters thesis, Universiti Putra Malaysia.2016
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/cnf/10.2174/0115734013300577240428105436
Loading
/content/journals/cnf/10.2174/0115734013300577240428105436
Loading

Data & Media loading...


  • Article Type:
    Research Article
Keyword(s): attitudes; knowledge; pediatricians; practices; Probiotics; referral of probiotics
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error
Please enter a valid_number test