Community Use of Antibiotics in Turkey: The Role of Knowledge, Beliefs, Attitudes, and Health Anxiety.

Ümmügülsüm Gaygısız,Timo Lajunen,Esma Gaygısız

doi:10.3390/antibiotics10101171

Ümmügülsüm Gaygısız, Timo Lajunen + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics10101171

Copy DOI

Abstract

Turkey has been among the leading countries in antibiotic consumption. As a result of the 4-year National Action Plan for Rational Drug Use, antibiotic prescriptions had declined from 34.9% in 2011 to 24.6% in 2018. However, self-medication with antibiotics without prescription is common, which is not reflected in official statistics. The present study aims at investigating antibiotic use in the community and the factors related to it. A web-based survey was conducted among 945 Turkish-speaking respondents (61.3% female). The questionnaire included questions about antibiotic use for different illnesses, ways to obtain and handle leftover antibiotics, knowledge, beliefs of the antibiotic effectiveness, attitudes, health anxiety, and background factors. According to the results, 34.2% of the sample had self-medicated themselves with antibiotics without a valid prescription. The most common way to self-medicate was to use leftover antibiotics. While 80.4% knew that antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, 51.4% thought that antibiotics are effective for viral diseases. The most important predictor of antibiotic use frequency was the belief in their efficiency for various illnesses and symptoms, followed by negative attitudes to antibiotics, health anxiety, knowledge level, positive attitudes, and health status. The results underline the importance of targeting misbeliefs about antibiotics in future campaigns.

Highlights

Since the discovery of penicillin in 1928, antibiotics have played an enormous role in public health [1]
The present study aimed to investigate the relationships between knowledge about antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance, attitudes to antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance, and health anxiety among Turkish participants
Self-medication with antibiotics by using leftover antibiotics, antibiotics acquired without prescription from the pharmacy, or antibiotics obtained from a friend or family member is mostly a hidden behavioural problem reflecting people’s lack of knowledge, misbeliefs, and overly positive attitude to antibiotics as a “cure for everything”

Summary

Introduction

Since the discovery of penicillin in 1928, antibiotics have played an enormous role in public health [1]. Between 2000 and 2015, antibiotic consumption, expressed in defined daily doses, increased 65%, and the antibiotic consumption rate increased 39%, expressed per 1000 inhabitants per day [2]. This rapid increase in antibiotic use has occurred primarily in low- and middle-income countries [2]. Availability of less expensive generic antibiotics, and lack of regulation, a further increase in antibiotic consumption is likely. With increased antibiotic consumption, antimicrobial resistance has become one of the biggest threats to global health [3]. The data were analysed with descriptive and frequency analysis, factor analysis, reliability analysis, Pearson correlation coeffects, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion