Table 2 Frequency of correct, incorrect, and unsure responses to knowledge items (N = 276)
Items | Correct n (%) | Incorrect n (%) | Unsure n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
Knowledge about antibiotics use or supply | |||
An antibiotic is a medicine used to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungus, virus, and parasites | 153 (55.4) | 117 (42.4) | 6 (2.2) |
Diphenhydramine is an antibiotic used in treating upper respiratory tract infections | 170 (61.6) | 99 (35.9) | 7 (2.5) |
Diseases with viral causes can be treated with antibiotics | 179 (64.8) | 88 (31.9) | 9 (3.2) |
An antibiotic is any agent used to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria | 259 (93.8) | 13 (4.7) | 4 (1.5) |
If taken too often without a clear indication, antibiotics are less likely to work in the future | 257 (93.1) | 16 (5.8) | 3 (1.1) |
Antibiotics can be used as a preventive measure to fight against future microbial (i.e., fungus, bacteria, virus, and parasite) attacks | 238 (86.2) | 36 (13.1) | 2 (0.7) |
Keeping leftover antibiotics from a previous course to use next time for the same infection is a good practice | 250 (90.6) | 25 (9) | 1 (0.4) |
Patients can stop taking antibiotics when their symptoms improve before completing their prescribed course of therapy | 212 (76.8) | 54 (19.6) | 10 (3.6) |
Acute sore throat can be treated with antibiotics irrespective of the cause | 198 (71.7) | 72 (26.1) | 6 (2.2) |
Fever can be treated directly with antibiotics | 229 (83) | 42 (15.2) | 5 (1.8) |
Common cold and cough should always be treated with antibiotics | 216 (78.3) | 54 (19.5) | 6 (2.2) |
Wound infection can be treated with antibiotics irrespective of the cause | 143 (51.8) | 130 (47.1) | 3 (1.1) |
Acute diarrhoea can be treated with antibiotics irrespective of the cause | 178 (64.5) | 91 (33) | 7 (2.5) |
Urinary tract infections can be treated with antibiotics irrespective of the cause | 143 (51.8) | 125 (45.3) | 8 (2.9) |
Knowledge about antibiotic resistance | |||
Inappropriate use of antibiotics increases the emergence of bacterial resistance to antibiotics | 224 (81.2) | 46 (16.6) | 6 (2.2) |
Dispensing antibiotics without a prescription will lead to development of antibiotic resistance | 214 (77.5) | 54 (19.6) | 8 (2.9) |
In complete antibiotic course is one of the causes of antibiotic resistance | 228 (82.6) | 43 (15.6) | 5 (1.8) |
Clients’ self-medication with antibiotics contributes to the development of antibiotic resistance | 206 (74.6) | 58 (21) | 12 (4.4) |