scholarly journals OPEN ACCESS: Insights into UK farmers' attitudes towards cattle youngstock rearing and disease

Livestock ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 274-281
Author(s):  
Katharine Baxter-Smith ◽  
Robert Simpson

There is increased industry focus on optimised welfare, productivity and antibiotic usage in cattle youngstock, however, little is known about UK farmers' attitudes and practices in rearing calves. In this cross-sectional study, 479 farmers were surveyed online about their cattle youngstock rearing approach and outcomes. Represented were 174 dairy farmers, 255 beef suckler farmers and 50 calf rearers. Farmers showed awareness of good youngstock rearing practices such as colostrum management and housing facilities. Morbidity and mortality from diarrhoea (82%, 48%) and bovine respiratory disease (BRD) (68%, 48%) were high on farms surveyed but farmers did not frequently consult their veterinary surgeon regarding these diseases. Farmers surveyed were not always aware of the efficacy of preventative methods such as vaccination, and frequently used antibiotic treatments (27% for diarrhoea and 40% for BRD) but not diagnostics when animals had disease. Veterinary surgeons could use these insights to better understand farmers' motivations and priorities, to make communication more efficient and align goals.

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Owono Etoundi ◽  
Junette Arlette Metogo Mbengono ◽  
Ferdinand Ndom Ntock ◽  
Joel Noutakdie Tochie ◽  
Dominique Christelle Anaba Ndom ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
pp. 100184
Author(s):  
Maria de Fátima Carvalho Alves ◽  
Maria da Luz Lima Mendonça ◽  
Janice de Jesus Xavier Soares ◽  
Silvânia Leal ◽  
Menilita dos Santos ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 84
Author(s):  
Katie Waine ◽  
Rachel S. Dean ◽  
Chris Hudson ◽  
Jonathan Huxley ◽  
Marnie L. Brennan

Clinical audit is a quality improvement tool used to assess and improve the clinical services provided to patients. This is the first study to investigate the extent to which clinical audit is understood and utilised in farm animal veterinary practice. A cross-sectional study to collect experiences and attitudes of farm animal veterinary surgeons in the UK towards clinical audit was conducted using an online nationwide survey. The survey revealed that whilst just under three-quarters (n = 237/325; 73%) of responding veterinary surgeons had heard of clinical audit, nearly 50% (n = 148/301) had never been involved in a clinical audit of any species. The participants’ knowledge of what a clinical audit was varied substantially, with many respondents reporting not receiving training on clinical audit at the undergraduate or postgraduate level. Respondents that had participated in a clinical audit suggested that protected time away from clinical work was required for the process to be completed successfully. This novel study suggests that clinical audit is undertaken to some extent in farm animal practice and that practitioner perception is that it can bring benefits, but was felt that more resources and support were needed for it to be implemented successfully on a wider scale.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amina M. Al Marzouqi ◽  
Michael E. Otim ◽  
Heba H. Hijazi ◽  
Leena S. Kehail ◽  
Ramsha A. Kamal

Abstract Objectives: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is a global health pandemic that continues to have an impact on many aspects of everyday life. This study investigates the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) related to COVID-19 among healthcare workers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods: This study uses a cross-sectional study design. The original data were collected using an online questionnaire distributed via a Google Forms link. Participants were healthcare workers currently working in the UAE healthcare facilities and recruited using snowball sampling. The questionnaire collected information on demographic variables and COVID-19-related knowledge, attitudes, and practice.Results: In total, the sample of 107 healthcare workers completed the survey. About 92% of the participants worked in public institutions, 87% were from Dubai, and 673% were female. The majority were aged 31–40 years (34.6%), and 43% were radiographers. 66.4% held bachelor’s degrees and Indian nationalities were (28%) and the Philippinos were (28%). Most (90.7%) participants knew the absence of fever did not mean that the virus could not transmit from an infected person, and 84.1% agreed that wearing general medical masks prevented one from contracting COVID-19. However, only 36.4% strongly believed that wearing a well-fitting face mask was effective. In addition, only 15.9% reported confidently managing patients with symptoms of COVID-19, and 54.2% reported that they were afraid of contracting the virus from patients. Almost half of the participants avoided patients who had symptoms of COVID-19. Conclusion: Overall, healthcare workers’ COVID-19-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices for healthcare workers in UAE healthcare facilities was very high. However, we found gaps in awareness regarding the spread of the pandemic. Our study recommends that providing healthcare workers with education programs and counseling services would help increase their confidence in treating patients with COVID-19.


Cureus ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah K Almofada ◽  
Reem J Alherbisch ◽  
Nouf A Almuhraj ◽  
Bander N Almeshary ◽  
Bader Alrabiah ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamara Jimah ◽  
Ama P. Fenny ◽  
Oladele Ogunseitan

Abstract Background Antibiotic resistance is a major contributing factor to global morbidity and mortality and is associated with inappropriate medication use. However, the level of antibiotic consumption and knowledge about antibiotic resistance in Ghana is inadequately quantified. Our study identifies strategies for improved stewardship of antibiotics to prevent the proliferation of resistant pathogens by assessing the level of antibiotic knowledge, attitudes, and consumption behaviors by region, gender, age, and education in rural and urban Ghana. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 12 communities in the urban Greater Accra and rural Upper West regions of Ghana. A questionnaire survey was administered to 400 individuals aged 18 years and older in selected locations during September-October 2018 to gather data on individual knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning antibiotics and antibiotic resistance. Multivariate analysis was used to investigate the association between demographic characteristics and knowledge, attitudes, and related behaviors. Results Over 30% (125/400) had not received a doctor’s prescription during their last illness. Seventy percent (278/400) had taken at least one antibiotic in the year prior to the survey. The top five frequently used antibiotics were Amoxicillin , Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid , Ampicillin , Ciprofloxacin , and Metronidazole . Women and older adults had higher knowledge compared to their respective counterparts (p<0.01). Furthermore, prudent antibiotic use was significantly more prevalent in women than men (p<0.05). Although no regional differences were found in overall knowledge, compared to urban residents, individuals residing in rural settings exhibited higher knowledge about the ineffectiveness of antibiotics for viruses like the cold and HIV/AIDS (p<0.001). Two hundred and fifty-two (63%) respondents were unaware of antibiotic resistance. There was generally a low level of self-efficacy among participants regarding their role in preserving the effectiveness of antibiotics. Conclusion Antibiotic knowledge, attitudes, and use varied significantly across demographics, suggesting a context-specific approach to developing effective community interventions.


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