Knowledge, attitude and practice towards antibiotic use and resistance among non-medical university students: A cross sectional survey in the United Kingdom

Objective: Student surveys conducted in Higher Educational Institutes globally have indicated a dearth of knowledge regardingantibiotics and their appropriate usage. The knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of non-medical students towards antibioticsis under-researched in the United Kingdom so in this study, we aimed to assess the antibiotic KAP of non-medical students at theUniversity of the West of England.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a diverse group of 602 university students using self-administeredwritten questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out using SPSS 24.Results: The survey response rate was 99.7%. Knowledge of antibiotics was signi?cantly higher among home (UK) students andthose enrolled in Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences (P<0.001). Respondents displayed a good understanding of personaluse of antibiotics affecting their own health however the relationship between individual consumption of antibiotics contributing toantibiotic resistance in the community was not clear. 71% of the respondents thought antibiotic resistance was a property of humanbody, rather than bacteria. Over half of the respondents failed to acknowledge it as a serious global and national problem. Conclusions: This study highlighted the cultural differences in knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding antibiotics amongstudents. Misconceptions about biological mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and lack of personal responsibility for the issuewere clearly demonstrated among respondents. Identi?cation of these misunderstandings could inform targeted interventionsaimed at improving the understanding of causes and consequences of antibiotic resistance along with emphasis on potential socialbene?t made by rational personal use of antibiotics