Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Nov 7;5(6):dlad116.
doi: 10.1093/jacamr/dlad116. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Antimicrobial stewardship: knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding antimicrobial use and resistance among non-healthcare students at the University of Zambia

Steward Mudenda  1   2 , Patience Chisha  1 , Billy Chabalenge  3 , Victor Daka  4 , Ruth Lindizyani Mfune  4 , Maisa Kasanga  5 , Martin Kampamba  1 , Phumzile Skosana  6 , Eustus Nsofu  1 , Jimmy Hangoma  7 , Linda Siachalinga  1   7 , Christabel Nang'andu Hikaambo  1 , Tadious Chimombe  1 , Aurel Constant Allabi  8 , Bawa Boya  9 , Webrod Mufwambi  1 , Zikria Saleem  10 , Scott Kaba Matafwali  11
Affiliations

Antimicrobial stewardship: knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding antimicrobial use and resistance among non-healthcare students at the University of Zambia

Steward Mudenda et al. JAC Antimicrob Resist. .

Abstract

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to the world and could become humanity's next major challenge. This study assessed non-healthcare students' knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) towards antimicrobial use (AMU) and AMR at the University of Zambia.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 443 non-healthcare students from August to October 2022 using a structured questionnaire. Data analysis was done using IBM SPSS version 24.0.

Results: Of the 433 participants, 55.2%, 63.5% and 45% had moderate KAP scores regarding AMU and AMR. The prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics was 76.7%. Male participants were less likely to have good knowledge (OR = 0.524, 95% CI: 0.347-0.792) and positive attitudes (OR = 0.585, 95% CI: 0.364-0.940) towards AMU and AMR compared with females. Students who were studying Engineering and Mining were more likely to have good knowledge of AMR (OR = 1.891, 95% CI: 1.197-2.987) compared with those in Social Sciences. Those who were in their fourth and fifth years were more likely to have positive attitudes towards AMU and AMR (OR = 1.851, 95% CI: 1.147-2.986) compared with those who were in the first, second and third years. Finally, students who practised self-medication were less likely to have good self-reported practice towards AMR (OR = 0.442, 95% CI: 0.278-0.702) compared with those who did not.

Conclusions: This study demonstrated that non-healthcare students had moderate KAP regarding AMU and AMR. All university students should be provided with education about AMU and AMR through free short courses, seminars, workshops, and AMR and antimicrobial stewardship awareness campaigns.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Marzan M, Islam DZ, Lugova H et al. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of antimicrobial uses and resistance among public university students in Bangladesh. Infect Drug Resist 2021; 14: 519–33. 10.2147/IDR.S289964 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cook MA, Wright GD. The past, present, and future of antibiotics. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14: eabo7793. 10.1126/scitranslmed.abo7793 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Dcosta VM, King CE, Kalan L et al. Antibiotic resistance is ancient. Nature 2011; 477: 457–61. 10.1038/nature10388 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Jindal BAK, Pandya MK, Khan MID. Antimicrobial resistance: a public health challenge. Med J Armed Forces India 2015; 71: 178–81. 10.1016/j.mjafi.2014.04.011 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Murray CJ, Ikuta KS, Sharara F et al. Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance in 2019: a systematic analysis. Lancet 2022; 399: 629–55. 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02724-0 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources