Rational Drug and Antibiotic Use Status, E-Health Literacy in Syrian Immigrants and Related Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Rational drug use is a pivotal concept linked with morbidity and mortality. Immigration plays a significant role as a determinant affecting individuals’ health-related attitudes, behaviors, and the pursuit of health services. Within this context, the study was initiated to assess the factors influencing health literacy and rational drug use among Syrian immigrants in Istanbul. A cross-sectional study was undertaken on 542 Syrian adults utilizing a three-part questionnaire encompassing sociodemographics, rational drug use, and the e-health literacy scale (eHEALS). With an average age of 39.19 ± 13.10 years, a majority of participants believed medications should solely be doctor-prescribed (97%) and opposed keeping antibiotics at home (93.7%). Yet, 62.5% thought excessive herbal medicine use was harmless. The mean eHEALS score stood at 20.57 ± 7.26, and factors like age, marital status, income, and duration of stay in Turkey influenced e-health literacy. Associations were seen between low e-health literacy and being female, being older, having a lower education level, and regular medication use. Syrian immigrants displayed proper knowledge concerning antibiotics yet exhibited gaps in their understanding of general drug usage, treatment adherence, and herbal medicines. Approximately 80.3% had limited health literacy, pointing to the need for targeted interventions for enhanced health and societal assimilation.

Prevalence of depression, anxiety, and associated factors in immigrant pregnant women in Türkiye: A cross-sectional study

“…In addition, the vast majority of Syrian immigrants in Türkiye (97.7%) reside in cities and 95.1% have been living there for 5 years or more. [ 33 ] Living in Türkiye for a long time may have enabled Syrian immigrants to know how the health system works and to use health services effectively.…”

Antibiotic Use in Communities

“…Statistics show a vast geographical variation in community antibiotic use, even within European countries [4]. The studies included in this is Special Issue represent an impressive sample of nationalities and countries, including Americans [6], Cypriots (Greek and Turkish) [7], Dutch [8], Germans [9], Greeks [10], Italians [11], Syrians [12], Thai [13], and Turks [10]. Since antibiotic use and, consequently, antimicrobial resistance vary significantly between cultures and communities, it is essential to investigate the reasons behind excessive antibiotic use in as many countries and cultures as possible.…”

“…Seven of the studies included in the present Special Issue investigated antibiotic use in medicine, while one study analysed data on antibiotic prescriptions in primary dental care in Germany from 2017 to 2021 [9]. Six of the studies employed a cross-sectional survey about antibiotic use, attitudes to and knowledge about antibiotics, and antimicrobial resistance [6,7,[10][11][12][13], while one study collected data with qualitative focus group interviews [8]. All these distinctive methods have the potential to reveal different aspects of antibiotic use.…”

“…De ger et al [12] and Lescure et al [8] investigated antibiotic use among minorities. De ger et al's sample consisted of 542 Syrian immigrants in Turkey [12], while the qualitative, focus-group-based study conducted by Lescure included Syrian immigrants and immigrants from Cape Verde, Morocco, Surinam, and Turkey [8]. Among Syrian immigrants, female gender, older age, lower education level, and regular medication use were related to lower health literacy [12].…”

“…De ger et al's sample consisted of 542 Syrian immigrants in Turkey [12], while the qualitative, focus-group-based study conducted by Lescure included Syrian immigrants and immigrants from Cape Verde, Morocco, Surinam, and Turkey [8]. Among Syrian immigrants, female gender, older age, lower education level, and regular medication use were related to lower health literacy [12]. In this sample, 80.3% had limited health literacy, indicating the necessity for specific interventions to improve health and facilitate societal integration [12].…”