{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]],"date-time":"2026-06-08T07:00:44Z","timestamp":1780902044738,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (WHO\/EMRO)","issue":"5","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["East Mediterr Health J."],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Evidence on antibiotic use among internally displaced persons in conflict-affected Northwest Syria remains scarce.\nAim: To assess knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding antibiotic use among internally displaced persons in Northwest Syria.\nMethods: We collected data from 630 individuals, aged \u2265 18 years, living in 12 internally displaced persons camps, in April 2022, through face-to-face interviews, using a WHO-validated questionnaire adapted for Syrian context. We analysed the data using SPSS version 26 and conducted univariate and multivariate logistic regression to assess associations between respondent characteristics and key outcomes. P &lt; 0.05 was considered statistically significant.\nResults: Of the 630 participants (58.1% female; median age 38 years), 66.5% had received at least one antibiotic prescription in the past year. Females were more likely than males (odds ratio 2.89; 95% confidence interval 1.10\u20137.40; P = 0.02), and single participants less likely than married participants (OR = 0.29; 95% CI: 0.10\u20130.84, P = 0.02), to have used a prescribed antibiotic. Antibiotic misuse was common: 62.2% used antibiotics without a prescription, 51.6% used  antibiotics prescribed for others and 39.4% did not complete their recommended dosage. The proportion of participants who obtained antibiotics without prescription increased from 64.8% before to 79.0% after displacement (P &lt; 0.001). Of the participants, 69.8% had sufficient knowledge of, and 59.2% had positive attitude towards, antibiotic use.\nConclusion: Although most participants reported having sufficient knowledge of antibiotics, misconceptions and inappropriate use were common. Targeted and evidence-based interventions are needed to improve antibiotic use practices  and to support antimicrobial stewardship among internally displaced persons in Northwest Syria and other similar settings.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.26719\/2026.32.5.312","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]],"date-time":"2026-06-08T06:45:07Z","timestamp":1780901107000},"page":"312-319","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding antibiotic use among internally displaced persons in conflict-affected Syria"],"prefix":"10.26719","volume":"32","author":[{"given":"Bilal","family":"Aldaef","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Idlib University, Idlib, Syria; Northwest Syria Research Team, Syria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Derar","family":"Altarraf","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Idlib University, Idlib, Syria; Northwest Syria Research Team, Syria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Youmn","family":"Dahnoun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Idlib University, Idlib, Syria; Northwest Syria Research Team, Syria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ali","family":"Alzidan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Idlib University, Idlib, Syria; Northwest Syria Research Team, Syria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mustafa","family":"Alyhya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Idlib University, Idlib, Syria; Northwest Syria Research Team, Syria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yara","family":"Refai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Idlib University, Idlib, Syria; Northwest Syria Research Team, Syria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdulfattah","family":"Assaf","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Idlib University, Idlib, Syria; Northwest Syria Research Team, Syria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Omar","family":"Aljerk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Idlib University, Idlib, Syria; Northwest Syria Research Team, Syria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bayan","family":"Akraa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Idlib University, Idlib, Syria; Northwest Syria Research Team, Syria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ahmad","family":"Assaf","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Idlib University, Idlib, Syria; Northwest Syria Research Team, Syria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yaser","family":"AlKanash","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Idlib University, Idlib, Syria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maan Almusa","family":"Alkanjo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Idlib University, Idlib, Syria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ibrahim S.","family":"AlBusaidi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Primary Care and Clinical Simulation, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Omar","family":"Alhiraki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Northwest Syria Research Team, Syria; Acute Medicine Department, Lincoln County Hospital, United Kingdom"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"11263","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]]},"container-title":["Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/applications.emro.who.int\/EMHJ\/V32\/05\/1020-3397-2026-3205-312-319-eng.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]],"date-time":"2026-06-08T06:45:08Z","timestamp":1780901108000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/applications.emro.who.int\/EMHJ\/V32\/05\/1020-3397-2026-3205-312-319-eng.pdf"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.26719\/2026.32.5.312","relation":{},"ISSN":["1020-3397","1687-1634"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1020-3397","type":"print"},{"value":"1687-1634","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]]}}}