Gender Differences In Antibiotics Use Behaviour And Access To Antibiotics In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review Protocol

BackgroundIn low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), the persistent lack of access and high inappropriate use of antibiotics, which are fuelled by gender-related factors continue to facilitate antimicrobial resistance which in turn reduces the capacity to treat infectious diseases. However, there is lack of sufficient clarity on the nature and extent of gender influence on access to antibiotics and antibiotic use behaviour. This proposed study aims to systematically review available literature in order to map out the nature and extent of evidence on gender differences and related factors influencing antibiotics use behaviour and access to antibiotics in LMICs. MethodsThis scoping review will be conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for scoping reviews. The MEDLINE, PsycINFO, African Journal Online (AJOL), Web of Science and CINAHL databases will be searched for peer-reviewed articles and relevant electronic grey literature will also be included in the study. A predefined excel spreadsheet will be utilized for data extraction and analysis. Findings will be presented in narrative summary and tables. ConclusionIt is expected that this study will identify knowledge and gaps on gender contributory factors to antibiotics use and access to antibiotics. These will contribute to understanding gender health inequalities and areas for further research on gender mainstreaming in antimicrobial stewardship efforts in the LMICs. This study findings will be disseminated through presentations in scientific conferences and publications in peer-reviewed journals. Scoping review registration with Open Science FrameworkRegistration DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/N5W8E