ABSTRACT
Background: Antibiotics are important drugs used against bacterial infections. Unfortunately, overusing them resulted in the development of resistant bacteria. There are limited data concerning antibiotic use so we worked on this study to provide more updated data
Objective: The aim of this study was to assess public knowledge, attitude and practice regarding antibiotics use and related factors in Riyadh - KSA
Method: It was a cross-sectional online and manual survey involving 474 respondents and was conducted in Riyadh, KSA in February 2016. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 20
Results: Most of the respondents [86.5%] had used antibiotics for others [friends and family]. Only 7% of respondents had good knowledge and about 50% of them had negative attitudes. Respondents' educational level was a predictor of negative attitude as those with a low level of education [below secondary] 66.7% were more likely to show negative attitude compared to those with high educational level [university and above; 40%]. Poor level of knowledge was a predictor of negative attitude; as 65% of respondents with poor knowledge showed negative attitude compared to only 24.2%;those with a good level of knowledge
Conclusion: This study concluded that females and married participants showed better practice toward antibiotics use. Higher education level was strongly associated with better knowledge, attitude and practice and was not associated with the increased risk of self-medication. Respondents with high income and those with better knowledge exhibited better practice