Development and nationwide application of an antibiotic knowledge scale

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Public Health
• Health Education

Background:

• Public misconceptions about antibiotics contribute to their misuse.
• Existing tools for assessing antibiotic knowledge are insufficient.
• Understanding public antibiotic knowledge is crucial for effective health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an Antibiotic Knowledge Scale (AKS).
• To assess the level of public knowledge about antibiotics in China.
• To identify factors associated with poor antibiotic knowledge.

Main Methods:

• An 18-item AKS was initially designed and validated with 1180 participants.
• The scale underwent item reduction, reliability, and validity testing.
• A nationwide survey of 12,772 participants utilized the final AKS, with logistic regression identifying associated factors.

Main Results:

• The final AKS demonstrated high reliability (Cronbach's alpha=0.91) and validity.
• 67% of the 12,772 surveyed participants exhibited poor antibiotic knowledge (mean score 7.25).
• Poor knowledge was linked to male gender, rural residence, lower education, poor economic status, and region.

Conclusions:

• The developed AKS is a reliable and valid tool for assessing antibiotic knowledge.
• A significant majority of the Chinese public has inadequate understanding of antibiotics.
• Interventions are urgently needed to improve public antibiotic knowledge and promote responsible use.