Prevalence and related factors of non-adherence to antibiotics among the general public: a cross-sectional study in China

ABSTRACT

Objectives

This study aims to assess the prevalence and associated factors of non-adherence to antibiotics (NAA) during COVID-19.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted from 28 October 2022 to 6 November 2022. A structured questionnaire was widely distributed on an online survey platform. Of the 8664 respondents, 7730 were included in the final analysis. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the associated factors of NAA.

Results

Of the 7730 participants, 17.83% reported antibiotic use in the past month, of which 53.05% had NAA. Those who aged over 60 years old, perceived their economy as good, had moderate or good antibiotic knowledge, and with high convenience to medical services and medicines were less likely to NAA (p < 0.05); while those with chronic diseases, living in Western or Northeastern China, and those who used non-prescription antibiotics were more likely to NAA (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

The prevalence of NAA remains at high levels in the general public. Targeted health education needs to be conducted in communities, pharmacies and health facilities to overcome misconceptions about antibiotics and to encourage people to seek formal medical care when ill, in order to improve public adherence to antibiotics.

KEYWORDS:

• Antibiotics
• Non-adherence
• General public
• Inappropriate use
• Antibiotic resistance

Declaration of interests

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Author contributions statement

QL curated and analyzed the data, and drafted the manuscript. JW refined the ideas and critically revised the manuscript. JW and YG finalized the article. XY designed the study. All authors reviewed the manuscript and approved it to be submitted.

Ethical approval

Approval was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (Number: 2018IECS175). All participants were informed about the study aim and were ensured data confidentiality. Data were collected anonymously.

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/14787210.2023.2268280.

Additional information

Funding

This manuscript was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 71874060).