A GROUP of nursing students from the University of Santo Tomas won in the undergraduate student research poster competition in the Asia Pacific Rim Universities Conference.

The winning entry submitted by Mary Kristine Pinpin, Chelsea Nicole Pineda, Krisalene Plazuela, Biana Pollo, and Clare Quimson with their adviser Dr. Gian Carlo Torres, was entitled “Development and evaluation of an antibiotic sharing advocacy”.

“The research aimed to address the global health concern of antibiotic resistance, which arises out of misuse,” they said.

“In particular, the study noted the prevalence of antibiotic sharing among low-income communities in the Philippines, where economic issues, lack of education and health literacy, as well as other community factors make the practice rampant,” they added.

The study found that while most respondents knew about the hazards of antibiotic resistance, medicine sharing among family members and close friends was still rampant.

“After conducting a situational analysis, the researchers identified their target audiences (social media users) and crafted the message, which was spread through the combined use of infographics, memes, and videos on social media platforms. After the campaign, an online evaluation was done by the researchers,” UST College of Nursing said.

“After the intervention, there was increased awareness among the participants about the health-related risks of this practice,” it added.

The conference with the theme “Universal Health Care across the Lifecourse” was held from October 19-21, 2020.