Public Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Regarding Antibiotic Use and Resistance in Trkiye: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance is common due to inappropriate and overuse of antimicrobial agents. This study aimed to eval-uate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the public about antibiotic use and resistance in Turkiye. Materials and Methods: In this study, a cross-sectional study design was used for a population-based survey. An online survey was conducted from June to September 2021. Results: 937 people (87.5%) responded to the questionnaire. About half of the respondents answered correctly that amoxicillin was an antibiotic and ibuprofen was not an antibiotic. 31.8% of the respondents considered that antibiotics were effective against viruses. Most of the respondents (88.2%) disagreed with the idea that they would not be happy if the physician did not prescribe antibiotics. 63.7% of the respondents declared that they never stopped using antibiotics when they believed they were cured. Conclusion: The study shows that the participants have a good attitude towards antibiotic use and resistance despite the lack of knowledge and practices.