# Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Healthcare Professionals and Medical Students Regarding Probiotics and Prebiotics in Lahore, Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study

## TL;DR

This study finds that healthcare professionals and medical students in Lahore, Pakistan, have limited knowledge about probiotics and prebiotics, with lack of knowledge being the main barrier to their use.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the knowledge gaps and attitudes of healthcare professionals and students in Pakistan regarding probiotics and prebiotics.

## Key findings

- Only 37% of medical students and 48.5% of doctors had good knowledge about probiotics.
- Lack of knowledge was identified as the primary barrier to using probiotics and prebiotics by 54.4% of participants.
- Poor knowledge was linked to poor knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) scores.

## Abstract

Objective

This study aims to explore healthcare professionals’ and medical students’ knowledge and attitudes toward probiotics and prebiotics in various health conditions. It seeks to identify any obstacles associated with their use and gain insight into the healthcare community’s perspectives on these supplements.

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a preformed questionnaire. Data was collected by a convenience sampling technique during October and November 2023. A total of 417 responses were collected, and the data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 20.0 (Released 2011; IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA).

Results

In the study, 198 participants (47.5%) were doctors, and 219 (52.5%) were medical students. Only 81 (37%) students had good knowledge about probiotics, while 36 (16.4%) had good knowledge about prebiotics. Poor knowledge was associated with a poor knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) score, indicating a link between knowledge, attitude, and practice. Similarly, only 96 (48.5%) doctors had good knowledge about probiotics, while 45 (22.7%) of them had good knowledge about prebiotics. The study found that a lack of knowledge was the primary barrier to the use of prebiotics and probiotics, as reported by 226 (54.4%) participants. The chi-square test showed no significant correlation between participants’ demographics and their KAP.

Conclusion

The majority of respondents demonstrated poor knowledge and practices regarding probiotics and prebiotics, which can be attributed to insufficient awareness of their benefits. Education tools like curriculum and training programs should include evidence-based information to raise awareness among healthcare professionals about their benefits and address concerns associated with their use in treating patients.