Community Awareness, Attitudes, and Knowledge Regarding the Use and Resistance of Antibiotics

Author(s): Dr. Sanjoy Kumar Saha, Dr. Tasnim Ahmed, Dr. Dipa Saha, Dr. Meherunnesa Mukta, Dr. Md. Mahmudur Rahman Imrul, Dr. Mohammad Atiqur Rahman, Dr. Arifa Akhter, Dr. Nahid Mirza, Dr. Al-Amin

Background:

Antibiotic resistance is a major global public health concern and has been attributed to abuse and misuse of antibiotics. The following factors help explain this in Bangladesh: self-medication, limited physical access to healthcare, and antibiotic misperceptions. The current level of knowledge about antibiotic resistance among the public population remains relatively low, and therefore there is a requirement for highly targeted campaigns.

Objective:

The purpose of this research is to measure the local knowledge and perceptual understanding of antibiotic consumption and antibiotic resistance in South Keranigonj, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was carried out at Basundhara Ad-Din Medical College Hospital in the period of January 2023 and January 2024. The authors employed a structured questionnaire to sample 100 participants from different demographic backgrounds. For the analysis of the collected data, frequency distributions and percentages were applied as a part of the descriptive statistics.

Results:

The study found that 52% of respondents believed antibiotics could speed up recovery from a cold, and 43% thought antibiotics were effective against viral infections. While 88% recognized that antibiotics could cause side effects, 36% believed it was acceptable to stop taking antibiotics when feeling better. Knowledge about antibiotic resistance was moderate, with 56% of participants having a middle level of knowledge. Furthermore, 70% preferred to rest and wait for infections to resolve, and 67% ensured they had a prescription when buying antibiotics.

Conclusion:

The designed study tends to reveal a few significant gaps in public awareness towards antibiotic use and resistance. Inaccurate beliefs about antibiotic efficacy against viral infections and nonadherence to scheduled use of antibiotics are common. Climbing up the awareness ladder through formal and informal education, along with better communication from health care providers and communitybased awareness regarding antibiotic resistance, are some of the strategies that need to be implemented in Bangladesh.