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Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences
School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia
ISSN: 1394-195X
Vol. 25, No. 6, 2018, pp. 141-147
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Bioline Code: mj18090
Full paper language: English
Document type: Special Article
Document available free of charge
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Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences, Vol. 25, No. 6, 2018, pp. 141-147
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Knowledge and Attitudes Concerning Antibiotic Use and Resistance among the Public in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Ab Halim, Nur Ashila Azleen; Chang, Chee-Tao; Chan, Huan Keat; Hassali, Mohamed Azmi & Nouri, Ahmed
Abstract
The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes
concerning antibiotic use and resistance among members of the local community in Pulau
Pinang, Malaysia. The study was conducted among 326 residents of the Jelutong district, Pulau
Pinang state, from August to October 2013. A self-administered five-part questionnaire was
used for the data collection. The respondents exhibited inadequate knowledge of antibiotics
in general. Approximately 80% of them did not know the indications for antibiotic use, while
76% believed that antibiotics were useful in terms of resolving viral fever. Additionally, 52.6%
believed that antibiotics could be used to treat all types of infections. Inadequate knowledge of
antibiotic resistance was also evident among the respondents, since 72.9% of them did not agree
that resistant bacteria can spread from human or animal to human, while 32% were unaware
that bacteria can develop resistance to antibiotics. More than 60% of respondents admitted that
they took antibiotics in order to accelerate their recovery from illness, while 34.8% claimed that
they only stopped taking antibiotics when they felt better. The findings hence indicate that most
respondents had poor knowledge and attitudes concerning antibiotic use and resistance, which
suggests the need for more community-based educational campaigns designed to improve the
public’s knowledge and attitudes regarding antibiotics.
Keywords
anti-bacterial agent; knowledge; attitude; Malaysia
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