Antimicrobial Stewardship among Agricultural Science students in a South African University

DAntimicrobials use in agriculture significantly contribute to human and animal antimicrobial resistance (AMR) development. AMR negatively affects patient outcomes by complicating the treatment of common infectious diseases like pneumonia, tuberculosis, and many foodborne and waterborne diseases. This study Damong final-year students enrolled in plant-related agricultural programmes at the University of Pretoria (UP), SA. A cross-sectional study design was employed; the participants that were deemed eligible for this study were final-year students enrolled in agricultural science specialising in plant-related programmes. A Google form link with the structured questionnaire was loaded to the ClickUp system for the participants to access; a 68.29% response rate was achieved, and pre-coding for easy analysis was performed. Descriptive statistics were used to interpret and summarise the data, and Spearman's Rank Correlations were performed to determine the correlation relationship between the three key theoretical concepts in this study. The participants exhibited a sound knowledge of antimicrobial stewardship; however, some were misinformed about certain important concepts. The participants demonstrated willingness and a positive attitude towards playing a role in AMR prevention. The participants also understood the seriousness of AMR globally and its threat to their health and families. However, most participants felt inadequately prepared to contribute positively to the fight against antimicrobial stewardship. There was a positive association between the participant's knowledge and their perception (p=.020) in this study. Therefore, as the participant's showed more awareness and understanding of antimicrobial use, misuse, and control they also demonstrated an increased acknowledgement of the seriousness and the consequences of AMR. There was a negative association between the participant's perception and their attitude (p=.031) in the current study.