Factors Associated With Inappropriate Attitude Towards Antibiotic Usage Among Outpatients of a Public Primary Care Specialist Clinic: A Cross Sectional Study

ABSTRACT

@#Introduction: Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest global threat in modern medicine especially in lower-and middle-income countries (LMIC) as financial limitations and health literacy become barriers to an impactful health policy. The World Health Organization has urge for an improvement in the community antibiotic awareness through effective educational interventions. This study aims to identify the community’s attitude appropriateness, knowledge gaps, the relationship between antibiotic knowledge and attitude as well as factors associated with inappropriate attitude towards antibiotic among outpatients attending a primary care clinic. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study which was conducted among 256 respondents. Data collection was conducted for three months using a self-administered questionnaire which has been validated and translated. Results: It was found that the respondents’ mean attitude and knowledge score were 29.5 ± 4.19 and 5.94 ± 2.4 respectively. The highest inappropriate attitude response was expecting antibiotic from the doctor for common colds and the most frequent incorrect knowledge response was on the domain of role of antibiotics. There is a weak positive relationship between antibiotic knowledge and attitude (r=0.315, n=256, p=0.0001). Respondents with low education level and poor antibiotic knowledge were at least 2.5 times more likely to have inappropriate attitude when handling antibiotics. Conclusion: Antibiotic education should be incorporated in non-pharmacological measures of viral illnesses in primary care that is targeted among those with low education and poor antibiotic knowledge. The weak relationship between antibiotic knowledge and attitude suggest that health campaign should focus on behavioural change rather than a theoretical approach.