JAC Advance Access originally published online on February 16, 2007
Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 2007 59(4):727-738; doi:10.1093/jac/dkl558
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Don't wear me out—the public's knowledge of and attitudes to antibiotic use
1 Health Protection Agency Primary Care Unit, Microbiology Department, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Great Western Road, Gloucester GL1 3NN, UK 2 University of St Andrews, School of Geography & Geosciences, Irvine Building, North Street, St Andrews KY16 9AL, UK 3 Health Protection Agency Centre for Infections, Statistics Unit, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, UK 4 Department of Health, Quarry House, Quarry Hill, Leeds LS2 7UE, UK 5 University of Dundee, Health Informatics Centre, The Mackenzie Building, Kirsty Semple Way, Dundee DD2 4BF, UK
Received 29 August 2006; returned 31 August 2006; revised 15 December 2006; accepted 20 December 2006
* Correspondence address. Tel: +44-8454-225061; Fax: +44-1452-526197; E-mail: jill.whiting{at}hpa.org.uk
Objectives: To assess the public's knowledge and attitudes to antibiotics, their reported antibiotic use and the relationship between them.
Patients and methods: A questionnaire was included in the face-to-face Office for National Statistics Omnibus Household Survey in Britain in 2003. Of 10 981 randomly selected adults from England, Scotland and Wales, 7120 (65%) completed the questionnaire.
Results: Although 79% of respondents were aware that ‘antibiotic resistance is a problem in British hospitals’, 38% of respondents did not know that antibiotics do not work against most coughs or colds and 43% did not know that ‘antibiotics can kill the bacteria that normally live on the skin and in the gut’. Respondents with lower educational qualifications were less knowledgeable about antibiotics. In a multivariable analysis, better knowledge of antibiotics was not associated with being less likely to be prescribed any in the last year, but was independently associated with being more likely to finish a course of antibiotic as prescribed. Knowledge was also associated with being more likely to take antibiotics without being told to do so. In women, better knowledge was associated with being more likely to give an antibiotic to someone else that was not prescribed for them.
Conclusions: We have shown that there is no simple relationship between increased knowledge and more prudent antibiotic use. Future national antibiotic campaigns should have a defined audience and aims in order to facilitate prudent antibiotic use by clinicians and public.
Keywords: resistance , questionnaire , campaigns , education
Present address. Southwold Surgey, York Rd, Southwold IP18 6AN, UK.
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