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Antibiotic use in pre-school children and the correlation with adult educational levels in two Nordic counties : a replication of a 20-year-old study

Hansen, Matilde Bøgelund ; Thorsted, Anne Bonde ; Ivarsson, Stina ; Tyrstrup, Mia LU ; Hedin, Katarina LU ; Melander, Eva LU ; Arpi, Magnus ; Jakobsen, Helle Neel ; Brogaard, Emma and Jensen, Jette Nygaard (2021) In Infectious Diseases 53(4). p.281-290
Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the change of antibiotic prescribing in pre-school children in the municipalities of the former Copenhagen County in Denmark and Skåne County in Sweden after 20 years of antibiotic stewardship effort. Furthermore, the variation in the prescribing of antibiotics between the municipalities and the correlation between municipal adult educational level and antibiotic prescribing in pre-school children was assessed. Methods: In this ecological study, information on antibiotic prescribing in pre-school children was obtained from a central pharmacy settlement system in each Region. The antibiotic prescribing rate was expressed in defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day (DDD/TID) and... (More)

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the change of antibiotic prescribing in pre-school children in the municipalities of the former Copenhagen County in Denmark and Skåne County in Sweden after 20 years of antibiotic stewardship effort. Furthermore, the variation in the prescribing of antibiotics between the municipalities and the correlation between municipal adult educational level and antibiotic prescribing in pre-school children was assessed. Methods: In this ecological study, information on antibiotic prescribing in pre-school children was obtained from a central pharmacy settlement system in each Region. The antibiotic prescribing rate was expressed in defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day (DDD/TID) and number of prescriptions/1000 inhabitants. Information on municipal adult educational levels was obtained from Statistics Denmark and Statistics Sweden. Results: The antibiotic prescribing rate during 2017 was higher in the municipalities of Copenhagen County (5.6–7.9 DDD/TID) compared to the municipalities of Skåne County (4.2–6.6 DDD/TID). In 1998 a higher rate was found in Skåne County (9.6–17.7 DDD/TID) compared to Copenhagen County (8.0–12.9 DDD/TID). A non-significant negative correlation between adult educational levels and antibiotic prescribing was observed in the municipalities of Copenhagen County (r= −0.233, p =.352) while the correlation was positive in the municipalities of Skåne County (r= +0.410, p =.018). The same correlations were observed in 1998. Conclusion: We found higher antibiotic prescribing in pre-school children in the municipalities of Copenhagen County compared to Skåne County in 2017, suggesting a possible overuse of antibiotics in Denmark. Further research should try to elucidate the reasons for the observed variation.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Antibiotic prescription, children, ecological study
in
Infectious Diseases
volume
53
issue
4
pages
281 - 290
publisher
Informa Healthcare
external identifiers
  • scopus:85100866371
  • pmid:33579169
ISSN
2374-4235
DOI
10.1080/23744235.2021.1882696
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
80c4a2ed-d333-4288-bc74-6d1da173fbf8
date added to LUP
2021-03-02 10:33:10
date last changed
2024-05-02 03:56:33
@article{80c4a2ed-d333-4288-bc74-6d1da173fbf8,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the change of antibiotic prescribing in pre-school children in the municipalities of the former Copenhagen County in Denmark and Skåne County in Sweden after 20 years of antibiotic stewardship effort. Furthermore, the variation in the prescribing of antibiotics between the municipalities and the correlation between municipal adult educational level and antibiotic prescribing in pre-school children was assessed. Methods: In this ecological study, information on antibiotic prescribing in pre-school children was obtained from a central pharmacy settlement system in each Region. The antibiotic prescribing rate was expressed in defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day (DDD/TID) and number of prescriptions/1000 inhabitants. Information on municipal adult educational levels was obtained from Statistics Denmark and Statistics Sweden. Results: The antibiotic prescribing rate during 2017 was higher in the municipalities of Copenhagen County (5.6–7.9 DDD/TID) compared to the municipalities of Skåne County (4.2–6.6 DDD/TID). In 1998 a higher rate was found in Skåne County (9.6–17.7 DDD/TID) compared to Copenhagen County (8.0–12.9 DDD/TID). A non-significant negative correlation between adult educational levels and antibiotic prescribing was observed in the municipalities of Copenhagen County (r= −0.233, p =.352) while the correlation was positive in the municipalities of Skåne County (r= +0.410, p =.018). The same correlations were observed in 1998. Conclusion: We found higher antibiotic prescribing in pre-school children in the municipalities of Copenhagen County compared to Skåne County in 2017, suggesting a possible overuse of antibiotics in Denmark. Further research should try to elucidate the reasons for the observed variation.</p>}},
  author       = {{Hansen, Matilde Bøgelund and Thorsted, Anne Bonde and Ivarsson, Stina and Tyrstrup, Mia and Hedin, Katarina and Melander, Eva and Arpi, Magnus and Jakobsen, Helle Neel and Brogaard, Emma and Jensen, Jette Nygaard}},
  issn         = {{2374-4235}},
  keywords     = {{Antibiotic prescription; children; ecological study}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{02}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{281--290}},
  publisher    = {{Informa Healthcare}},
  series       = {{Infectious Diseases}},
  title        = {{Antibiotic use in pre-school children and the correlation with adult educational levels in two Nordic counties : a replication of a 20-year-old study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23744235.2021.1882696}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/23744235.2021.1882696}},
  volume       = {{53}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}