Zhixin Fan , Yuting Zhang , Yibo Wu , Jia Yin , Qiang Sun
{"title":"中国公众对抗生素的理解和滥用:来自一项综合全国调查的见解","authors":"Zhixin Fan , Yuting Zhang , Yibo Wu , Jia Yin , Qiang Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.lanwpc.2025.101682","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global health threat, with antibiotic misuse as a key driver. This study assessed public understanding and misuse of antibiotics in China to inform targeted interventions.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Data were extracted from the Psychology and Behaviour Investigation of Chinese Residents (2024), including 25,047 respondents over the age of 18 years. The study evaluated antibiotic knowledge, use practices, and associated factors using validated electronic health literacy scales.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>Of the 25,047 respondents, 59.1% (14,806/25,047) reported having heard about antibiotics, with 34.8% (5154/14,806) correctly identifying their function. Regarding antibiotic use, 49.3% (7292/14,806) reported purchasing antibiotics without prescription at least once; 36.8% (5454/14,806) did not follow physicians’ instructions specifically, 15.1% (2235/14,806) discontinued their medication independently, 9.4% (1391/14,806) adjusted their doses, and 16.6% (2457/14,806) stopped taking the antibiotic immediately after their symptoms disappeared during the treatment. Female (OR = 0.843, 95% CI: 0.790–0.900), minority (OR = 0.786, 95% CI: 0.674–0.917) and rural respondents (OR = 0.812, 95% CI: 0.743–0.887) were less likely to have a correct knowledge of antibiotics. Minority respondents and those with children were likelier to purchase antibiotics without prescription, whereas those without companion animals (OR = 0.680, 95% CI: 0.631–0.733) were less so. Higher educated respondents were less likely to follow medication instructions (OR = 0.848, 95% CI: 0.765–0.941), so were those with children or companion animals.</div></div><div><h3>Interpretation</h3><div>Public understanding and use of antibiotics in China fall short of national targets. The study reveals complex relationships between demographic factors and antibiotic practices, suggesting the need for targeted interventions to address AMR effectively.</div></div><div><h3>Funding</h3><div>This work was supported by the <span>National Natural Science Foundation of China</span> (NO. <span><span>72474119</span></span>) and <span>National Health Commission Key Lab of Health Economics and Policy Research</span> (NO. <span><span>NHC-HEPR202401</span></span>).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22792,"journal":{"name":"The Lancet Regional Health: Western Pacific","volume":"62 ","pages":"Article 101682"},"PeriodicalIF":8.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Public understanding and misuse of antibiotics in China: insights from a comprehensive national survey\",\"authors\":\"Zhixin Fan , Yuting Zhang , Yibo Wu , Jia Yin , Qiang Sun\",\"doi\":\"10.1016/j.lanwpc.2025.101682\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global health threat, with antibiotic misuse as a key driver. This study assessed public understanding and misuse of antibiotics in China to inform targeted interventions.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Data were extracted from the Psychology and Behaviour Investigation of Chinese Residents (2024), including 25,047 respondents over the age of 18 years. The study evaluated antibiotic knowledge, use practices, and associated factors using validated electronic health literacy scales.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>Of the 25,047 respondents, 59.1% (14,806/25,047) reported having heard about antibiotics, with 34.8% (5154/14,806) correctly identifying their function. Regarding antibiotic use, 49.3% (7292/14,806) reported purchasing antibiotics without prescription at least once; 36.8% (5454/14,806) did not follow physicians’ instructions specifically, 15.1% (2235/14,806) discontinued their medication independently, 9.4% (1391/14,806) adjusted their doses, and 16.6% (2457/14,806) stopped taking the antibiotic immediately after their symptoms disappeared during the treatment. Female (OR = 0.843, 95% CI: 0.790–0.900), minority (OR = 0.786, 95% CI: 0.674–0.917) and rural respondents (OR = 0.812, 95% CI: 0.743–0.887) were less likely to have a correct knowledge of antibiotics. Minority respondents and those with children were likelier to purchase antibiotics without prescription, whereas those without companion animals (OR = 0.680, 95% CI: 0.631–0.733) were less so. Higher educated respondents were less likely to follow medication instructions (OR = 0.848, 95% CI: 0.765–0.941), so were those with children or companion animals.</div></div><div><h3>Interpretation</h3><div>Public understanding and use of antibiotics in China fall short of national targets. The study reveals complex relationships between demographic factors and antibiotic practices, suggesting the need for targeted interventions to address AMR effectively.</div></div><div><h3>Funding</h3><div>This work was supported by the <span>National Natural Science Foundation of China</span> (NO. <span><span>72474119</span></span>) and <span>National Health Commission Key Lab of Health Economics and Policy Research</span> (NO. <span><span>NHC-HEPR202401</span></span>).</div></div>\",\"PeriodicalId\":22792,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"The Lancet Regional Health: Western Pacific\",\"volume\":\"62 \",\"pages\":\"Article 101682\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":8.1000,\"publicationDate\":\"2025-09-01\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"The Lancet Regional Health: Western Pacific\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"3\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666606525002214\",\"RegionNum\":1,\"RegionCategory\":\"医学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q1\",\"JCRName\":\"HEALTH CARE SCIENCES & SERVICES\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"The Lancet Regional Health: Western Pacific","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666606525002214","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"HEALTH CARE SCIENCES & SERVICES","Score":null,"Total":0}
Public understanding and misuse of antibiotics in China: insights from a comprehensive national survey
Background
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global health threat, with antibiotic misuse as a key driver. This study assessed public understanding and misuse of antibiotics in China to inform targeted interventions.
Methods
Data were extracted from the Psychology and Behaviour Investigation of Chinese Residents (2024), including 25,047 respondents over the age of 18 years. The study evaluated antibiotic knowledge, use practices, and associated factors using validated electronic health literacy scales.
Findings
Of the 25,047 respondents, 59.1% (14,806/25,047) reported having heard about antibiotics, with 34.8% (5154/14,806) correctly identifying their function. Regarding antibiotic use, 49.3% (7292/14,806) reported purchasing antibiotics without prescription at least once; 36.8% (5454/14,806) did not follow physicians’ instructions specifically, 15.1% (2235/14,806) discontinued their medication independently, 9.4% (1391/14,806) adjusted their doses, and 16.6% (2457/14,806) stopped taking the antibiotic immediately after their symptoms disappeared during the treatment. Female (OR = 0.843, 95% CI: 0.790–0.900), minority (OR = 0.786, 95% CI: 0.674–0.917) and rural respondents (OR = 0.812, 95% CI: 0.743–0.887) were less likely to have a correct knowledge of antibiotics. Minority respondents and those with children were likelier to purchase antibiotics without prescription, whereas those without companion animals (OR = 0.680, 95% CI: 0.631–0.733) were less so. Higher educated respondents were less likely to follow medication instructions (OR = 0.848, 95% CI: 0.765–0.941), so were those with children or companion animals.
Interpretation
Public understanding and use of antibiotics in China fall short of national targets. The study reveals complex relationships between demographic factors and antibiotic practices, suggesting the need for targeted interventions to address AMR effectively.
Funding
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NO. 72474119) and National Health Commission Key Lab of Health Economics and Policy Research (NO. NHC-HEPR202401).
期刊介绍:
The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific, a gold open access journal, is an integral part of The Lancet's global initiative advocating for healthcare quality and access worldwide. It aims to advance clinical practice and health policy in the Western Pacific region, contributing to enhanced health outcomes. The journal publishes high-quality original research shedding light on clinical practice and health policy in the region. It also includes reviews, commentaries, and opinion pieces covering diverse regional health topics, such as infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, child and adolescent health, maternal and reproductive health, aging health, mental health, the health workforce and systems, and health policy.