Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Nursing Students on Antibiotic Use and Resistance in Bangladesh

Indiscriminate use of antibiotics has led to antibiotic resistance, a global health threat. In low- and middle-income countries like Bangladesh, the situation is particularly dire. Nursing students are a concerned population as they have their respective part to play in antibiotic resistance. There is a lack of understanding about their knowledge, attitude and practice regarding antibiotic usage and resistance among this demographic.

A cross-sectional study design was employed and third- and fourth-year nursing students were recruited for the study from both government and non-government institutions in Bangladesh. Data were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression analyses was performed using Stata version 16.

Among 664 participants, 83.58% of the students demonstrated good attitudes (>80%) and practices (>80%) towards antibiotic resistance, while 57.9% exhibited good knowledge. Older students had higher odds of good knowledge (aOR = 1.29) and practice (aOR = 1.84). Female gender (aOR = 2.00), private-institution enrollment (knowledge aOR = 1.57; attitude aOR = 3.44; practice aOR = 2.25), and Bachelor of Science enrollment (knowledge aOR = 2.13; attitude aOR = 3.38; practice aOR = 2.44) were associated with higher odds of good KAP. In contrast, fourth-year students showed lower odds of good attitude (aOR = 0.09) and practice (aOR = 0.45). Knowledge was weakly but significantly correlated with both attitude (r = 0.18, p < 0.001) and practice (r = 0.09, p = 0.041).

Nursing students in Bangladesh show promising attitudes and practices towards antibiotic resistance. Efforts to enhance education on antibiotic resistance are necessary in guiding these future healthcare providers to combat this emerging threat effectively.