Assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and practices about antibiotic resistance among medical students in India

Context: To reduce the magnitude of antimicrobial resistance, there is a need to strengthen the knowledge for future prescribers regarding use and prescription of antibiotics. Before that, it is required to have a conclusive evidence about knowledge, attitude, and practices of that group. Aim: To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and the practices of medical students in India with respect to antibiotic resistance and usage. Settings and Design: It was a cross-sectional study which was done online through Google forms for a period of 4 months from July to October 2018. Materials and Methods: A structured questionnaire containing a five-point Likert scale was sent to medical students across India by sharing link through contacts of Medical Students Association of India. Respondent-driven sampling technique was also adopted for the study. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics, parametric (Chi-square), and nonparametric (Kruskal--Wallis and Mann--Whitney U) tests. Results: A total of 474 responses were received from 103 medical colleges across 22 states of India. The mean score of knowledge was 4.36 +/- 0.39. As compared to first year students, knowledge was significantly higher among students of all the years. As much as 83.3% students have consumed antibiotics in previous year of the survey. Around 45% of medical students accepted that they buy antibiotics without a medical prescription. Conclusion: The knowledge level of medical students was quite satisfactory. As far as attitude and practices are concerned, there is a substantial need for improvements.