Knowledge, Attitude and Practices towards the Use and Resistance of Antimicrobials among Mbeya Urban Community-Tanzania, 2021

Abstract

Background

Antimicrobials are readily available, accessible, and affordable medications making them among the commonly misused and mishandled class of drugs rendering the emergency of their resistance, which is a growing public health emergence.  The burden of antimicrobial use (AMU) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is not known in many parts of our country; this study serves to add information on the burden of antimicrobial usage and resistance with underlying causes based on the knowledge attitude, and practices of the Mbeya urban community on antimicrobials.

Aim

This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices towards the use and resistance of antimicrobials among Mbeya urban community members.

Methodology

A descriptive cross-sectional study in Mbeya city council. Participants were aged at least 18 years; enrolment was through a random sampling technique. Data collection was done through pre-tested structured, closed-ended questionnaire. The responses for knowledge, attitude, and practice were scored and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20, by chi-square with p-value of 0.05 for the statistical significance of dependent variables.

Results

Participants enrolled in the study were 154, and their main source of information about antimicrobials was health facilities (65.6%).  About 79% of participants had poor knowledge of the uses and resistance of antimicrobials. Out of 154, only 10 participants had never used antimicrobials, and among those who have ever used antimicrobials, 68.05% had poor practices. The majority of participants, 84%, had a positive attitude toward the use and resistance of antimicrobials. Self-prescription practices were found among 70% of participants, knowledge about the illness, and the high cost of medical services at hospitals were among the leading factors for self-prescription. Pharmacies were the leading sources of drugs, followed by health facilities.

Conclusion

There is a high proportion of poor knowledge, good attitude, and poor practices in the Mbeya urban community towards the use and resistance of antimicrobials. Knowledge correlated with education level and information exposure to antimicrobials, unlike practices, which correlated with neither demographic feature of the participants. In addition, self-prescription practices and the incompletion of prescribed doses were very significant and alarming.