A public awareness study about antibiotic consumption habits and antibacterial resistance in north-eastern region of Cyprus

Introduction: Antibiotic resistance is a current global issue. Investigation of the level of knowledge of the public about antibiotics and antibiotic resistance is necessary to combat the antibiotic resistance problem. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the level of knowledge of the citizens of the north-eastern part of Cyprus on antibiotics and antibiotic resistance problem. Methodology: Randomly selected 701 adults were included in the study. A modified version of World Health Organization’s public awareness survey was used to assess the knowledge on antibiotics and the resistance. Logistic regression was used to find out the relationship between knowledge and education level. Spearman’s correlation analysis was carried out to determine the association between the education level and the awareness of antibiotic resistance. Results: Overall, 47.9% (336/701) of the respondents had used antibiotics in the last 6 months. Approximately 70% of respondents were determined to have intermediate/high knowledge on antibiotic consumption. In total, 66% of the population heard about antibiotic resistance and of these, 64% had intermediate knowledge on the resistance concept. University graduates were more likely to hear the term antibiotic resistance than primary school graduates. Conclusions: In the north-eastern region of Cyprus, the public is moderately knowledgeable about antibiotics and resistance. The study is the first large scale study in the northern part of Cyprus and is thought to improve the national health policies related with antibiotic consumption in Cyprus and other developing countries.