Dataset Information

Seeing an apocalyptic post-antibiotic future lowers antibiotics expectations and requests.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Antibiotic resistance is an ongoing pandemic which represents a global public health threat. To encourage the judicious use of antibiotics, public health discourse and campaigns often engage in threat-based messaging depicting an apocalyptic post-antibiotic future. We studied the effectiveness of the strategy because of mixed evidence for its success, and because it is unclear how experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic might have influenced it.

Methods

We conducted a randomised controlled trial with 378 participants in three waves (before and during the pandemic in 2021 and 2022). Participants were randomly allocated to either the baseline arm, featuring a control film, or the intervention arm featuring a short film, Catch, depicting a post-antibiotic future. Participants expressed expectations and intended requests for antibiotics for a hypothetical ear infection and their adherence to a prescribed antibiotic for a hypothetical kidney infection. In waves 2 and 3, they also reported any COVID-19-related changes to their antibiotic desires.

Results

Showing participants a film about a post-antibiotic future substantially lowers clinically inappropriate expectations for antibiotics and their intended requests. Participants report that the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic decreased their desire for antibiotics but only when they watched the intervention film. The intervention slightly decreases participants' adherence intentions towards a prescribed antibiotic treatment.

Conclusions

Presenting a film about an apocalyptic post-antibiotic future lowers expectations and intended requests for antibiotics and therefore has the potential to encourage judicious use of them. However, the adverse effects of such messaging on adherence to a course of antibiotics should be proactively managed.

SUBMITTER: Sirota M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11245540 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Seeing an apocalyptic post-antibiotic future lowers antibiotics expectations and requests.

Sirota Miroslav M Juanchich Marie M

Communications medicine 20240712 1

<h4>Background</h4>Antibiotic resistance is an ongoing pandemic which represents a global public health threat. To encourage the judicious use of antibiotics, public health discourse and campaigns often engage in threat-based messaging depicting an apocalyptic post-antibiotic future. We studied the effectiveness of the strategy because of mixed evidence for its success, and because it is unclear how experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic might have influenced it.<h4>Methods</h4>We conducted a random ...[more]

PMID: 38997505

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Dataset Information

Seeing an apocalyptic post-antibiotic future lowers antibiotics expectations and requests.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Seeing an apocalyptic post-antibiotic future lowers antibiotics expectations and requests.

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