RESEARCH ARTICLES

A scale to measure the perception of veterinarians towards antimicrobial use and resistance
G.Vijayakumar, P. Reeja George, R.S.Jiji, R.Senthilkumar, M.Min and V.L.Gleeja

doi: https://doi.org/10.51966/jvas.2022.53.4.674-681

Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences.2022.53(4):674-681.

Author Details

G.Vijayakumar: PhD Scholar, Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (CVAS), Mannuthy, Thrissur-680 651, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU), Kerala, India.

P. Reeja George : Professor, Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (CVAS), Mannuthy, Thrissur-680 651, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU), Kerala, India.

R.S.Jiji : Professor and Head, Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (CVAS), Mannuthy, Thrissur-680 651, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU), Kerala, India. 

R.Senthilkumar: Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (CVAS), Mannuthy, Thrissur-680 651, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU), Kerala, India. 

M.Mini :  Professor and Head, Department of Veterinary Microbiology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy - 680 651, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Kerala, India.

V.L Gleeja : Associate Professor and Head, Statistics, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy- 680 651, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Kerala, India

 Article History

Received: 25.06.2022, Accepted: 03.10.2022, Published online: 31.12.2022

Corresponding author: G.Vijayakumar

e-mail : kavivetdr@gmail.com

Citation: Citation:Vijayakumar, G., Reeja George, P., Jiji, R.S., Senthilkumar, R., Mini, M. and Gleeja, V.L.2022. A scale to measure the perception of veterinarians towards antimicrobial use and resistance. J. Vet. Anim. Sci. 53(4): 674-681

DOI: https://doi.org/10.51966/jvas.2022.53.4.674-681



Abstract


Veterinarians are the primary sourceof knowledge for farmers on how to use antibiotics responsibly in farm animals and how to decrease the risk of antibiotic resistance.Antimicrobial use and resistance is a multidimensional construct that lacks a specific measurement scale. This paper looks into the development of a scale to assess veterinarian perception about antimicrobial use and resistance. Following a thorough literature review, focus group interviews were conducted with selected key informant veterinarians to identify statements.An initial list of 80 statements reflecting positive and negative perception towards antimicrobial use and resistance was prepared. After editing, a final list of 70 statements were arrivedat. Descriptives of antimicrobial use and resistance, consensus regarding antimicrobial use and resistance indicators were arrived at through relevancy rating by a panel of 40 judges in the field of veterinary science based on which 35 statements were selected for item analysis. These 35 statements were subjected to item analysis among 60 veterinarians selected from a non-sample area. Out of the 60 veterinarians to whom the items were administered for item analysis, 15 veterinarians each with the lowest and highest scores were used as the two criterion groups to evaluate individual items. Individual items were selected based on‘t’ value whereinitems that had a t-value of more than 1.75 were selected and incorporated into the final schedule. Based on the calculated‘t’ values, 14 items were finally selected and includedin the final scale. Reliabilityof the scale was tested using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of reliability test for which a Cronbachalpha of 0.852 was obtained indicating the internal consistancy of the scale.

Key words:Veterinarianperception, antimicrobial use and resistance, scale, reliability