Knowledge, Attitude and Pattern of Antibiotic Usage among Students of a Nigerian University

Abstract

Objective: Antibiotic resistance is a major public health issue globally fueled largely by its misuse. Controlling this problem would require an understanding of the levels of awareness of the population towards antibiotics. This study assessed the baseline information on the knowledge, attitude and practice towards antibiotics among university students in Ogun State Nigeria. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted between January and March 2016 among a convenience sample of undergraduate students attending Covenant University, Ogun State, Nigeria. Self-administered questionnaires were employed to obtain information on knowledge, attitude and practice towards antibiotic usage. Results: A total of 357 students were recruited into this study. 60.6% of the participants had taken antibiotics in the 6 months preceding the study of which two-thirds stated that they seldom complete the antibiotic dosage. Doctors (53.1%) and Parents (22.9%) were responsible for most antibiotic prescriptions in this study. Knowledge assessment showed fair knowledge of antibiotic use and drug resistance. Conclusions: This study shows that the study population has average knowledge of antibiotics use hence the need to generate more awareness. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2019; 9(1): 10-15.