community Residents' Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Antibiotics in Penang, Malaysia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Community residents’ knowledge and attitudes towards antibiotics play a vital role in the success of treatment and the prevention of antibiotic resistance. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes of community residents towards antibiotics in Jelutong District, Penang, Malaysia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among the residents of 1Malaysia Community (aged ≥18 years) between July and September 2015 using a validated and pre-tested self-administered questionnaire. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0. Three hundred and sixty out of 440 residents completed the questionnaire (response rate = 81.8%). With regard to their knowledge of antibiotics, 27.2% (n = 98) stated that antibiotics are medicines that kill bacteria, but 72.5% (n = 261) stated that antibiotics are effective for the treatment of viral infections. In addition, 70.0% (n = 252) stated that leftover antibiotics could be disposed of in a dustbin. In the testing of attitudes, 79.4% (n = 286) agreed that antibiotics speed up recovery from a cold; 62.8% (n = 226) stated that they discontinued taking antibiotics when their symptoms disappeared; 54.4% (n = 196) advised their family members to take antibiotics when they were feeling unwell; and 52.8% (n = 190) expected physicians to prescribe antibiotics for a sore throat. Most of the community residents had poor knowledge and negative attitudes towards antibiotics. Therefore, educational interventions are needed to promote the responsible use of antibiotics among community residents in Malaysia.