Volume 26, Issue 130, December 2022

Knowledge, awareness and attitudes toward AB use and antimicrobial resistance among Medina population

Lobna Mohamed Hassan^1♦, Renad Talal Alkaki², Sibaa Hameed Alsuhaymi², Omnyah Abdulrzaq Sanyour², Ghofran Saleem Alhejaili², Hanin Mohammed Mulla², Lama Ahmad Azali Amara³

¹Department of Basic Sciences, College of Medicine, Al-Rayan colleges, Madinah, Saudi Arabia
²College of Medicine, Alrayan Colleges, Madinah, Saudi Arabia
³Faculty of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Madinah, Saudi Arabia

^♦Corresponding author
Department of Basic Sciences, College of Medicine, Al-Rayan colleges, Madinah, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Background: Antibiotics (AB) resistance is a threat to public health and safety globally. The irrational use of ABs is alarming and steps must be taken to prevent AB resistance. The global issue of AB resistance has developed due to multiple factors related to inappropriate and uncontrolled dispensing use of AB. We aimed to measure the awareness of AB use and antimicrobial resistance among the Medina population. Methods: A descriptive crosssectional study using a self-administrated questionnaire. Participants (aged =18 years) were invited to complete an online questionnaire through social media. A random sample of 412 participants was studied. Results: Out of 412 participants, 85% were females, 92.23% were Saudi's and 72% were bachelor's degrees. 23.3% of the studied population used ABs without a prescription in the past 12 months. The main reason for self-medication was saving time and effort (44.4 %). The primary sources of ABs were those purchased from community pharmacies (61.7%) and leftovers from previously prescribed pharmaceuticals (28.9%). 60.4% of participants heard about bacterial resistance. Conclusion: In conclusion, although most participants were aware of AB use, they had negative attitudes towards AB use, the dangers of selfmedication and misuse and insufficient knowledge regarding AB resistance. Thus, continuous education and awareness campaigns must continue to ensure improvement in the knowledge of the population and awareness of AB resistance.

Keywords: Awareness, Knowledge, ABs, Antimicrobial resistance, KSA

Medical Science, 2022, 26, ms562e2629

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v26i130/ms562e2629

Published: 26 December 2022