A statistical assessment of awareness on antimicrobial resistance and antibiotics use attitude among the university students in Karachi, Pakistan

Abstract

The survival instincts of microbials in response to antibiotics have revolutionized the prescribing practices. Antimicrobials must be used with great care and general public needs awareness of this burning issue. The objective of this study is to highlight the perception of university students with respect to antimicrobial resistance awareness and subsequently their attitude towards using antibiotics. The respondents in the study were selected on the basis of their education background from both healthcare and non-healthcare professions. The study was conducted on 1592 university students and data were collected using questionnaire based on Likert scale. The results were evaluated using Pearson’s Chi-square test and the association between various factors was calculated by Cramer’s V. The awareness level of students from the non-healthcare background, as an approximate of general public, was found to be significantly lower than healthcare students, thus enabling healthcare students to portray a more responsible attitude towards antibiotics use as compared to non-healthcare students (p<0.05). The level of awareness in non-healthcare students as compared to healthcare students, used as an approximate of the general public, indicates a gap in awareness campaigns about antimicrobial resistance for general public. It is recommended that the responsible use of antibiotics should be encouraged by awareness campaigns for both healthcare personnel and general public.