Attitudes, Practices, and Barriers of Probiotics Among Medical Faculty Members in Lorestan, Iran

Maleki, Mehdi; Zare, Soodabeh; Amanolahi Baharvand, Peyman; Hasanvand, Amin

doi:10.22087/ijac.2024.506172.1050

Attitudes, Practices, and Barriers of Probiotics Among Medical Faculty Members in Lorestan, Iran

Document Type : Research

Authors

Mehdi Maleki ¹

Soodabeh Zare ²

Peyman Amanolahi Baharvand ³

Amin Hasanvand ⁴

¹ Student Research Committee, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

² School of Health and Nutrition, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

³ Department of English, School of Allied Medical Sciences, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

⁴ Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

10.22087/ijac.2024.506172.1050

Abstract

Probiotics, which contain beneficial bacteria, have been shown to enhance human health, reduce healthcare expenditures at the community level, and effectively prevent and treat various diseases. This descriptive-analytical study was conducted with 145 faculty members from the basic and clinical sciences departments at Lorestan University of Medical Sciences. Data were collected using a questionnaire comprising 35 items across three domains: perspectives, performance, and barriers to the use of probiotic products. The data were analyzed using independent t-tests and correlation coefficients with SPSS software version 25, with a significance level set at less than 0.05. The scores for attitudes, performance, and barriers to probiotic use were 19.93 ± 2.49, 17.86 ± 3.14, and 40.75 ± 6.27, respectively. No significant relationship was found between gender and educational group concerning the scores in the three domains of the questionnaire. However, a positive correlation was observed between attitude and performance, while an inverse relationship was noted between attitude and performance on one hand and consumption barriers on the other. The findings of this study underscore the urgent need to enhance educators' awareness and alter their perspectives regarding probiotics.

Keywords

Perspective

Awareness

Performance

Probiotic

Professors

1. Airhihenbuwa CO, Tseng TS, Sutton VD, Price L. Global perspectives on improving chronic disease prevention and management in diverse settings. Preventing chronic disease. 2021 Apr 8;18:E33.
2. Chen X, Pan L, Zhang Z, Niu R, Zhang H, Ma T. Probiotic supplement for the prevention of gestational diabetes: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Zeitschrift für Geburtshilfe und Neonatologie. 2023 Feb;227(01):24-30.
3. Sutton A. Product development of probiotics as biological drugs. Clinical infectious diseases. 2008 Feb 1;46(Supplement_2):S128-32.
4. Putta S, Yarla NS, Lakkappa DB, Imandi SB, Malla RR, Chaitanya AK, Chari BP, Saka S, Vechalapu RR, Kamal MA, Tarasov VV. Probiotics: supplements, food, pharmaceutical industry. InTherapeutic, probiotic, and unconventional foods 2018 Jan 1 (pp. 15-25). Academic Press.
5. Passariello A, Agricole P, Malfertheiner P. A critical appraisal of probiotics (as drugs or food supplements) in gastrointestinal diseases. Current medical research and opinion. 2014 Jun 1;30(6):1055-64.
6. Fiocchi A, Burks W, Bahna SL, Bielory L, Boyle RJ, Cocco R, Dreborg S, Goodman R, Kuitunen M, Haahtela T, Heine RG. Clinical use of probiotics in pediatric allergy (CUPPA): a world allergy organization position paper. World Allergy Organization Journal. 2012 Dec;5:148-67.
7. Ren Z, Hong Y, Huo Y, Peng L, Lv H, Chen J, Wu Z, Wan C. Prospects of probiotic adjuvant drugs in clinical treatment. Nutrients. 2022 Nov 9;14(22):4723.
8. Ren Z, Huo Y, Zhang Q, Chen S, Lv H, Peng L, Wei H, Wan C. Protective effect of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 1201 combined with Galactooligosaccharide on carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury in mice. Nutrients. 2021 Dec 12;13(12):4441.
9. Sharaf LK, Sharma M, Chandel D, Shukla G. Prophylactic intervention of probiotics (L. acidophilus, L. rhamnosus GG) and celecoxib modulate Bax-mediated apoptosis in 1, 2-dimethylhydrazine-induced experimental colon carcinogenesis. BMC cancer. 2018 Dec;18:1-3.
10. Mi H, Dong Y, Zhang B, Wang H, Peter CC, Gao P, Fu H, Gao Y. Bifidobacterium infantis ameliorates chemotherapy-induced intestinal mucositis via regulating T cell immunity in colorectal cancer rats. Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry. 2017 Oct 17;42(6):2330-41.
11. Wan C, Chen S, Zhao K, Ren Z, Peng L, Xia H, Wei H, Yu B. Serum untargeted metabolism reveals the mechanism of L. plantarum ZDY2013 in alleviating kidney injury induced by high-salt diet. Nutrients. 2021 Nov 1;13(11):3920.
12. Ren Z, Chen S, Lv H, Peng L, Yang W, Chen J, Wu Z, Wan C. Effect of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis SF on enhancing the tumor suppression of irinotecan by regulating the intestinal flora. Pharmacological Research. 2022 Oct 1;184:106406.
13. Liu A, Ma T, Xu N, Jin H, Zhao F, Kwok LY, Zhang H, Zhang S, Sun Z. Adjunctive probiotics alleviates asthmatic symptoms via modulating the gut microbiome and serum metabolome. Microbiology spectrum. 2021 Oct 31;9(2):e00859-21.
14. Purdel C, Ungurianu A, Adam-Dima I, Margină D. Exploring the potential impact of probiotic use on drug metabolism and efficacy. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2023 May 1;161:114468.
15. Abbas MO, Ahmed H, Hamid E, Padayachee D, Abdulbadia MT, Khalid S, Abuelhana A, Abdul Rasool BK. Pharmacists’ Knowledge, Perception, and Prescribing Practice of Probiotics in the UAE: a Cross-Sectional Study. Antibiotics. 2024 Oct 13;13(10):967.
16. Payahoo L, Nikniaz Z, Mahdavi R, Abadi MA. Perceptions of medical sciences students towards probiotics. Health promotion perspectives. 2012 Jul 1;2(1):96.
17. Pyahoo L, Amouie MJ, Bagherzadeh H, Askari S, Khajebishak Y. Assessment of the probiotic products usage barriers and the status of knowledge, attitude, practice in nurses and medical sciences students: A descriptive-analytical study. The Journal of Tolooebehdasht. 2023 May 24.
18. Masihi Nezhad A, Barikani A, Javadi M. A Survey on Shiraz Health Care Center Personnel’s Knowledge and Attitudes Toward the Consumption of Probiotic Products in 2018. Journal of Health Sciences & Surveillance System. 2022 Jul 1;10(3):293-300.
19. Betz M, Uzueta A, Rasmussen H, Gregoire M, Vanderwall C, Witowich G. Knowledge, use and perceptions of probiotics and prebiotics in hospitalised patients. Nutrition & dietetics. 2015 Sep;72(3):261-6.
20. Richa Soni RS, Kamna Tank KT, Nayan Jain NJ. Knowledge, attitude and practice of health professionals about probiotic use in Ahmedabad, India.
21. Güneş HB, Ekincioğlu AB, Karakan T, Demirkan K. Assessment of Knowledge and Attitudes of Physicians and Pharmacists on Probiotics: A Cross-Sectional Survey. Turkish Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2024 Mar 25;21(1):36.
22. Khalid F, Aamer H, Tarique H, Yawar M, Tariq M, Shaheryar M, Hasan AH. Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Healthcare Professionals and Medical Students Regarding Probiotics and Prebiotics in Lahore, Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study. Cureus. 2024 Jun 6;16(6).
23. Ababneh M, Elrashed N, Al-Azayzih A. Evaluation of Jordanian healthcare providers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practice patterns towards probiotics. Expert review of pharmacoeconomics & outcomes research. 2020 Jan 2;20(1):93-7.
24. Al Hossan AA, Syed W, Babelghaith SD, Al Arifi MN. Knowledge, attitude, and practice of probiotics among Saudi health care students—a cross-sectional study from Saudi university in Riyadh Saudi Arabia. INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing. 2024 Jan;61:00469580231224821.
25. Ong TS, Tan ST, Tan SS, Tan CX. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards probiotics for gut-skin axis among health science undergraduates: An online cross-sectional study. Food and Humanity. 2023 Dec 1;1:38-43.
26. Khalesi, PhD S, Vandelanotte, PhD C, Thwaite, BSc T, Russell, PhD AM, Dawson, PhD D, Williams, PhD SL. Awareness and attitudes of gut health, probiotics and prebiotics in Australian adults. Journal of Dietary Supplements. 2021 Jul 4;18(4):418-32.
27. Shreenidhi S, GEETHA R. Knowledge Attitude and Practice Regarding Probiotics Among General Population-A Questionnaire Survey. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Research (09752366). 2020 Jul 2.