Examining the knowledge, attitudes and practices of healthcare professionals towards microbiota and probiotics

In recent years, various studies have revealed the positive effects of the human microbiota on overall health, and the use of probiotics, which affect the microbiota, as a potential therapeutic option in clinical practice has increasingly been researched. Assessing healthcare professionals' understanding, attitudes, and practices regarding the role of the microbiota in health, evidence-based applications of probiotics, and the extent to which probiotics are recommended in clinical settings can contribute to informed decision-making processes and the improvement of patient outcomes. This study aims to determine the level of knowledge healthcare professionals from different medical disciplines have about the microbiota and evaluate their attitudes and practices regarding probiotic use. The research was conducted with 265 participants in a descriptive cross-sectional design. Data were collected using a questionnaire containing questions about participants' knowledge and consumption habits regarding probiotics and probiotic products. The data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0. The average age of the participants was found to be 31.61±7.84 years, and the average years of professional experience was 9.06±8.71 years. It was determined that 35.1% of the participants were in the 26-30 age range, 63.4% had a bachelor's degree, 60.8% were married, and 39.2% were single. It was found that 70.6% of the participants had not received training on the microbiota, and 66.8% had an insufficient level of knowledge about the microbiota. Those with graduate education and physicians had significantly higher levels of knowledge about the microbiota compared to other healthcare professionals (p<0.05). The results show that healthcare professionals from different medical disciplines experience gaps in their knowledge regarding scientific evidence on microbiota and probiotics. Additionally, participants demonstrated a moderate understanding of the knowledge of probiotic microorganisms and the clinical use of probiotics. These findings emphasize the need for targeted educational interventions to enhance healthcare workers' understanding of microbiota and probiotics.