Antibiotic use among final year undergraduates in university of Benin, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was designed to evaluate the use of antibiotics among final year students in a Nigerian university campus, with a view to identifying patterns of use and reasons for adherence or non-adherence to therapy. A cross-sectional survey of randomly selected final year students of the University of Benin was conducted using self-completedquestionnaires which required demographic details (excluding names) and details of antibiotic use in the preceding three months. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel software. Two hundred and sixty questionnaires were returned giving a response rate of 99.2%. Of these, two hundred and twenty six respondents (86.9%) had used atleast one antibiotic in the preceding three months, with over 40% having used two or more antibiotics. Self-medication with antibiotics occurred in 35%. Penicillins were the most frequently used prescription antibiotics, as well as for selfmedication. The most frequent reason for adhering to therapy was a determination to get well while a feeling of improvement after initial therapy was the commonest reason for non-adherence. Prescription and non-prescription antibiotics were used by a large proportion of undergraduates. The antibiotics most frequently used (the penicillins) were those against which high levels of resistance have been demonstrated. Interventions to improve utilization ofantibiotics should include those that increase self-motivation to complete antibiotic therapy and also foster behavior change arising from knowledge of the dangers to individuals and communities arising from non-adherence to antibiotic therapy.