ArticleItalian journal of pediatrics2019
Pilot study for the understanding and use of probiotics by different paediatric healthcare professionals working in different European countries.
Article in Italian journal of pediatrics, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 21 citations in OpenAlex.
- Are Probiotics and Prebiotics Safe for Use during Pregnancy and Lactation? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Nutrients · 2021Pooled it
- Therapeutic Management of Probiotics and Prebiotic Products to Modulate Gut Microbiome by Healthcare Services.Microorganisms · 2026Review
- On the Knowledge and Prescription of Probiotics by Pediatric Providers: A Cross-Sectional Study.Nutrients · 2025Article
- Assessing the Knowledge and Prescription Practice of Gastroenterologists and Pharmacists Toward Probiotics in Saudi Arabia: An Electronic Survey-Based Study.International journal of general medicine · 2025Article
- Progress in Probiotic Science: Prospects of Functional Probiotic-Based Foods and Beverages.International journal of food science · 2025Review
- Article
- Knowledge of Dietitians on Gut Microbiota in Health-An Online Survey of the European Federation of the Associations of Dietitians (EFAD).Nutrients · 2024Article
- Expert consensus on the use of oropharyngeal probiotic Bactoblis in respiratory tract infection and otitis media: available clinical evidence and recommendations for future research.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2024Article
- Physicians' Understanding of the Role of the Microbiome in Allergies and Asthma: A Questionnaire-Based Study in Saudi Arabia.Journal of asthma and allergy · 2022Article
- Health Professionals' Knowledge of Probiotics: An International Survey.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 4 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundConsumers' conviction of the benefits of probiotics is influenced by their existing beliefs and by the information they receive from healthcare professionals. The attitude of healthcare professionals towards commercially available probiotics will, therefore, determine how trustworthy and beneficial these products are perceived by consumers. Furthermore, due to European Union legislation, companies are prohibited from displaying information on product packaging; therefore, consumers are dependent primarily on healthcare professionals for correct information and guidance on the use of these products. The aim of this pilot study was to explore the understanding and use of probiotics in clinical practice by professionals who are involved in child healthcare in different European countries and to assess how much they value the scientific evidence behind these products.
methodsThe study was performed using a cross-sectional, descriptive, 30-question online questionnaire circulated among healthcare professionals belonging to three professional categories that are typically involved in childhood probiotic prescription: paediatricians, dieticians and general practitioners. The questionnaire was developed using web-based standard guidelines, and the questions were modelled on those used in previously published probiotics studies.
resultsOverall, 27,287 healthcare professionals belonging to three major European scientific societies were contacted by the organizations participating in the study. In total, 1360 valid questionnaires were recorded, and the results were statistically analysed.
conclusionsThe results emphasize the importance for healthcare professionals to be properly educated and updated on probiotics. An improved knowledge about probiotics led to increased prescriptive confidence. To disseminate accurate information on probiotics, healthcare professionals look for appropriate and scientifically validated educational platforms to acquire information, explore concerns and barriers and look for positive approaches towards recommending probiotics.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.