Public knowledge attitudes and practices toward antibiotic use among the adult Sudanese community: A cross-sectional descriptive study.

Background: The growth and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria have become a major global concern, posing a serious threat to public health in the 21st century. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate public knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward antibiotic use.

Design and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used. The study was conducted at the Wad Medani locality, Gezira state, Sudan, from December 2022 to March 2023. Any citizen >18 years from the Wad Medani locality with at least 3 months of residency was included in the study.

Results: A total of 420 questionnaires were distributed and collected. A total of 253 (56%) of the participants were in the 18-30 year age group, 242 (57%) were male, 254 (60.6%) were at the university level, and 254 (61.2%) had a medical background. Overall, 183 (43.5%) and 172 (41%) participants demonstrated poor knowledge and practice, respectively. However, 236 (56.2%) of the participants agreed that using antibiotics when they are not necessary leads to antibiotic resistance, and 334 (79.5%) believed that antibiotics accelerate recovery from the common cold and coughs.

Conclusions: Our findings revealed that the majority of Sudanese people have inadequate knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward antibiotics. Most of the participants believed that antibiotics accelerated their recovery from the common cold and cough. Therefore, community leaders and local influencers could be engaged to spread awareness about antibiotic resistance and address misconceptions about antibiotics. In addition, enforcing stricter regulations on pharmacies to prevent the sale of antibiotics without a valid prescription.