Knowledge, Attitudes And Practices Regarding The Use Of Antibiotics. Study On The General Population Of Mureş County, Romania

BACKGROUND: Currently, antibiotic resistance is a complex issue that affects the whole of society. This resistance is influenced by the irrational and excessive use of antibiotics by the general population. This study aimed to gather information about the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours regarding the issues related to antibiotic consumption in the general population of Mureș County in the Central Region of Romania. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study using a questionnaire as its research instrument, which consisted of 33 questions analysing the respondents’ attitude and their knowledge about the use of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance. RESULTS: A total of 996 respondents were eligible for the study. Of the total respondents, 62.65% (624 respondents) considered that antibiotics are used to treat a bacterial infection and 61.45% (612 respondents) used an antibiotic at least once in the previous year, with a distribution of 68.7% and 56.8% of the respondents from rural and urban areas, respectively. Antibiotics were taken by 10.34% of the respondents, following recommendations from family/friends, and 22.9% used antibiotics left over from their last prescription. Of those who consumed antibiotics (868 respondents), 65.9% consulted their physician every time before taking the medication. Furthermore, 82.3% of the total of 996 respondents considered that the use of non-prescription antibiotics has a negative effect, and 85.14% had heard about the antibiotic resistance of bacteria. CONCLUSION: The majority of respondents had adequate knowledge of antibiotics and their use and were aware of the fact that non-prescription antibiotics can have repercussions both on them as individuals and on the population as a whole.