RESEARCH. According to the World Health Organization, bacteria that have acquired resistance to antibiotics is one of the most serious threats to global public health. Seven out of ten Swedes are concerned about antibiotic resistance, but the differences between different groups is great. This is shown in a survey by the SOM Institute at University of Gothenburg, presented in the research anthology Equilibrium.
The National SOM survey 2015 asked the question “As you see the situation today, what do you consider to be most worrying for the future?” One of the societal problems that respondents had to consider was “Increasing antibiotic resistance.” Antibiotic resistance means that bacteria have developed resistance to one or more antibiotics.
“Antibiotics are necessary to treat many bacterial infections. Also, major surgery, transplants, various forms of cancer treatments and care of premature babies become extremely risky because they often require preventive treatment with antibiotics”, says Joakim Larsson, Professor at the department of infectious diseases at University of Gothenburg and co-author of the chapter “Who worries for antibiotic resistance?”.
Swedes concern about resistant bacteria
According to WHO, antibiotic resistance is a very serious global public health problem and a transition to a rational and much more restrictive use of antibiotics is necessary. This message seems to have reached more than seven out of ten Swedes.The SOM survey shows that concerns about antibiotic resistance among Swedes is greater than the concern about an economic crisis and the increased number of refugees, but also lower than the concern for terrorism, high unemployment, and environmental degradation. Of the 20 potential social problems increased antimicrobial resistance is ranked in thirteenth place. Of the respondents, 29 percent were very concerned, 42 percent fairly worried, 24 percent are not particularly worried, and 5 percent are not at all concerned.
Large differences between groups
The concern is greater among people with high education, especially if their education is health-oriented, and among people who often take part of the news. As for many other social problems, women and the elderly are more concerned. It seems however that their own health was less important. “Although seven out of ten Swedes are concerned about antibiotic resistance, there are large differences in the degree of concern among different groups. Because the factors associated with knowledge such as education and news consumption seem to be critical, it may in the future be challenging to get the word out to the groups that currently have low knowledge and thus a low degree of concern”, says Björn Rönnerstrand, researchers in political science at Gothenburg University and co-author of the chapter.
Read the chapter Vem oroar sig för antibiotikaresistens? here (in Swedish only)
Read other pre-published chapters from the book Ekvilibrium here (in Swedish only)
Fakta
– Vem oroar sig för antibiotikaresistens? av Björn Rönnerstrand, Sverker Jagers och Joakim Larsson är ett av 26 kapitel i den kommande forskarantalogin från SOM-institutet: Ekvilibrium (Red. Henrik Oscarsson, Jonas Ohlsson och Maria Solevid).
– Kapitlen i Ekvilibrium baseras på data från den senaste nationella SOM-undersökningen, som totalt besvarades av 8256 respondenter under hösten och vintern 2015/2016.
– Hela Ekvilibrium släpps digitalt den 28 juni och blir då fritt tillgänglig på SOM-institutets webb.
