KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES ON ANTIMICROBIAL USE AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS OF FEU-NRMF

ABSTRACT: Currently, there exist an alarming rate of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) worldwide. This has been recognized by WHO as a serious threat to public health which is hastened by irrational use of antibiotics due to low patient compliance, misdiagnosis, or most commonly, due to inappropriate self-medication (1). Recognizing that medical practitioners are major contributors to AMR, this cross-sectionalo study assessed the current level of knowledge on antimicrobials and resistance, as well as the attitude and practice on antimicrobial use among future doctors in FEU-NRMF. A self administered questionnaire adapted from Awad and About (2015), and Afzal Khan et al (2013), was distributed to randomly-selected first year to third year medical students from the institution (2)(3). The obtained scores were analyzed using Chi-sguare - Spearman rank correlation, Kruskal-Wallis, test, and multivariate logistic analysis. It was found tha knowledge score is generally at moderate level, and attitude and practice scores on the average are positiveand good respectively. furthermore, knowledge scores were found to be associated with attitude scores but the same association was not found with practice scores. this investigation aids in identifying areas of improvement or reinforcement in medical practice that leads to responsible antimicrobial use, decreased AMR incidence, and better health outcomes.

Department of Community & Family Medicine