Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance poses a significant threat to public health and safety across the globe. Many factors contribute to antibiotic resistance, most especially are the concerns of excessive prescribing and misuse of antibiotics. Because patient expectations for antibiotics may contribute to prescriber pressures, experts recommend targeting antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) education efforts towards prescribers as well as patients in outpatient settings. Undergraduate university students are a unique and promising target population for AMS efforts because they are in a transformative life stage of social, cognitive, and physical development in which they are learning to independently care for themselves without the presence or influence of parents. By introducing AMS education during this transition, university students may adopt positive antibiotic use behaviors that they will carry throughout their lives. Not only will their personal health be improved, but widespread adoption of AMS in university settings may have a broader effect on public health of present and future generations. Despite public health opportunities, minimal research has examined AMS in university health settings. This article explores current evidence on knowledge, attitudes, and use of antibiotics among university students and discusses opportunities for AMS initiatives in college and university health settings.
Highlights
Antimicrobial resistance poses a significant threat to public health and safety across the globe
More than ever, medical and public health professionals are called upon to engage in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) efforts to combat the complex issue of antibiotic resistance in inpatient and outpatient settings
Individuals living in high-income countries (HICs), such as the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, are estimated to consume the highest number of antibiotics with 25 defined daily doses (DDD) per 1000 persons per day compared to 10–20 DDD per 1000 persons per day in
Summary
Antimicrobial resistance poses a significant threat to public health and safety across the globe. More than ever, medical and public health professionals are called upon to engage in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) efforts to combat the complex issue of antibiotic resistance in inpatient and outpatient settings. Other effective AMS strategies include educational and behavioral interventions aimed at prescribers, pharmacists, and nurses [9]. These AMS strategies have been recommended in the outpatient setting, challenges to successful implementation remain [1,5,10]. The purposes of this article are to (1) explore current evidence on knowledge, attitudes, and usage of antibiotics among university students and (2) discuss opportunities for AMS initiatives in college and university health settings
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