Dataset Information

Impacts of Antibiotic Residues in the Environment on Bacterial Resistance and Human Health in Eastern China: An Interdisciplinary Mixed-Methods Study Protocol.

ABSTRACT: Antibiotic resistance is a global health challenge that threatens human and animal lives, especially among low-income and vulnerable populations in less-developed countries. Its multi-factorial nature requires integrated studies on antibiotics and resistant bacteria in humans, animals, and the environment. To achieve a comprehensive understanding of the situation and management of antibiotic use and environmental transmission, this paper describes a study protocol to document human exposure to antibiotics from major direct and indirect sources, and its potential health outcomes. Our mixed-methods approach addresses both microbiological and pathogen genomics, and epidemiological, geospatial, anthropological, and sociological aspects. Implemented in two rural residential areas in two provinces in Eastern China, linked sub-studies assess antibiotic exposure in population cohorts through household surveys, medicine diaries, and biological sampling; identify the types and frequencies of antibiotic resistance genes in humans and food-stock animals; quantify the presence of antibiotic residues and antibiotic resistance genes in the aquatic environment, including wastewater; investigate the drivers and behaviours associated with human and livestock antibiotic use; and analyse the national and local policy context, to propose strategies and systematic measurements for optimising and monitoring antibiotic use. As a multidisciplinary collaboration between institutions in the UK and China, this study will provide an in-depth understanding of the influencing factors and allow comprehensive awareness of the complexity of AMR and antibiotic use in rural Eastern China.

SUBMITTER: Cai S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9266211 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Impacts of Antibiotic Residues in the Environment on Bacterial Resistance and Human Health in Eastern China: An Interdisciplinary Mixed-Methods Study Protocol.

Cai Shenghan S Wang Na N Xu Like L Yan Fei F Jiang Qingwu Q Zhao Xinping X Wang Wei W Wang Hexing H Jiang Lufang L Cong Wenjuan W Sheppard Samuel K SK Weeks Jason J Kasprzyk-Hordern Barbara B Fu Chaowei C Lambert Helen H

International journal of environmental research and public health 20220702 13

Antibiotic resistance is a global health challenge that threatens human and animal lives, especially among low-income and vulnerable populations in less-developed countries. Its multi-factorial nature requires integrated studies on antibiotics and resistant bacteria in humans, animals, and the environment. To achieve a comprehensive understanding of the situation and management of antibiotic use and environmental transmission, this paper describes a study protocol to document human exposure to a ...[more]

PMID: 35805804

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Project description:BackgroundDigital innovations in medicine are disruptive technologies that can change the way diagnostic procedures and treatments are delivered. Such innovations are typically designed in teams with different disciplinary backgrounds. This paper concentrates on 2 interdisciplinary research teams with 20 members from the medicine and engineering sciences working jointly on digital health solutions.ObjectiveThe aim of this paper was to identify factors on the individual, team, and organizational levels that influence the implementation of interdisciplinary research projects elaborating on digital applications for medicine and, based on the results, to draw conclusions for the proactive design of the interdisciplinary research process to make these projects successful.MethodsTo achieve this aim, 2 interdisciplinary research teams were observed, and a small case study (response rate: 15/20, 75%) was conducted using a web-based questionnaire containing both closed and open self-report questions. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient was calculated to analyze the quantitative data. The answers to the open-ended questions were subjected to qualitative content analysis.ResultsWith regard to the interdisciplinary research projects investigated, the influencing factors of the three levels presented (individual, team, and organization) have proven to be relevant for interdisciplinary research cooperation.ConclusionsWith regard to recommendations for the future design of interdisciplinary cooperation, management aspects are addressed, that is, the installation of a coordinator, systematic definition of goals, required resources, and necessary efforts on the part of the involved interdisciplinary research partners. As only small groups were investigated, further research in this field is necessary to derive more general recommendations for interdisciplinary research teams.Trial registrationGerman Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00023909, https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00023909 ; German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00025077, https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00025077.

Project description:BackgroundAn Interdisciplinary Intervention Plan (IIP) for the informal caregiver (IC) aims to primarily assess the health and social needs felt by the IC in caring for the person being cared for. Consequently, after the development and implementation of the IIP, as a result, professionals may intervene, trying to meet these needs and allow a higher quality of life for both. The study aims to assess the IIP implementation process and content validity.Specific objectivesi) Analyse the perception of the professionals who use the IIP and ii) Assess the users' agreement concerning the IIP items.MethodsThe IIP consists of a first part characterizing the IC and the person being cared for, and then, a second part consisting of 49 items divided into 6 domains. The implementation of the IIP was carried out by an interdisciplinary team in each municipality of the Autonomous Region of the Azores that includes professionals from the health and social areas. A mixed approach was used to analyze professionals' perceptions, using focus group content analysis for qualitative research, a Content Validity Index (I-CVI), and a modified k for quantitative research.ResultsIn the Clinical Professional Perceptions of IIP, two dimensions emerged from the content analysis. The first was "The IIP implementation process" where the categories "Need for logistical support" and "Reinforced interdisciplinarity" emerged. The second dimension "The functional content and organization of the IIP" where the categories: "Responses to the needs of IC", "Need to manage the expectations of the caregivers", "Opportunities for improvement in the content of the IIP " and "Computerization of the IIP" emerged. The analysis of the professionals' agreement, demonstrated that most items were rated as "Excellent" for their relevance (91.8%) and their formulation (95.9%), being assumed their comprehensibility. Concerning relevance two items were classified as "poor": "Information and Communication Technologies" and "Accessibility to another division". Another 2 items were rated as "reasonable": "Promote participation in socialization activities" and "Volunteering".ConclusionsThe results show the validation of the IIP, proceeding with the necessary changes according to the results obtained, to become a tool available to professionals in the home care context.

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Project description:BackgroundIn the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, the global COVID-19 pandemic appeared amidst existing social health challenges in food insecurity, housing precarity and homelessness, poor mental health, and substance misuse. These chronic features intersected with the pandemic, producing a moment in time when the urgency of COVID-19 brought attention to underlying shortcomings in public health services.ObjectiveThe objectives of the program of research are (1) to identify and measure relationships between the pandemic and wider health and social impacts, namely, food insecurity, housing precarity and homelessness, and mental health and substance use in Saskatchewan, and (2) to create an oral history of the pandemic in Saskatchewan in an accessible digital public archive.MethodsWe are using a mixed methods approach to identify the impacts of the pandemic on specific equity-seeking groups and areas of social health concern by developing cross-sectional population-based surveys and producing results based on statistical analysis. We augmented the quantitative analysis by conducting qualitative interviews and oral histories to generate more granular details of people's experiences of the pandemic. We are focusing on frontline workers, other service providers, and individuals within equity-seeking groups. We are capturing digital evidence and social media posts; we are collecting and organizing key threads using a free open-source research tool, Zotero, to trace the digital evidence of the pandemic in Saskatchewan. This study is approved by the Research Ethics Board at the University of Saskatchewan (Beh-1945).ResultsFunding for this program of research was received in March and April 2022. Survey data were collected between July and November 2022. The collection of oral histories began in June 2022 and concluded in March 2023. In total, 30 oral histories have been collected at the time of this writing. Qualitative interviews began in April 2022 and will continue until March 2024. Survey analysis began in January 2023, and results are expected to be published in mid-2023. All data and stories collected in this work are archived for preservation and freely accessible on the Remember Rebuild Saskatchewan project's website. We will share results in academic journals and conferences, town halls and community gatherings, social and digital media reports, and through collaborative exhibitions with public library systems.ConclusionsThe pandemic's ephemeral nature poses a risk of us "forgetting" this moment and the attendant social inequities. These challenges inspired a novel fusion among health researchers, historians, librarians, and service providers in the creation of the Remember Rebuild Saskatchewan project, which focuses on preserving the legacy of the pandemic and capturing data to support an equitable recovery in Saskatchewan.International registered report identifier (irrid)DERR1-10.2196/46643.

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Dataset Information

Impacts of Antibiotic Residues in the Environment on Bacterial Resistance and Human Health in Eastern China: An Interdisciplinary Mixed-Methods Study Protocol.

Publications

Impacts of Antibiotic Residues in the Environment on Bacterial Resistance and Human Health in Eastern China: An Interdisciplinary Mixed-Methods Study Protocol.

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