KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES REGARDING ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE IN A SAMPLE OF ADULTS FROM THE GENERAL POPULATION: AN ANALYSIS STRATIFIED BY AGE, EDUCATION, AND FAMILY STATUS

Abstract

Objectives. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major public health problem. This study assessed knowledge and attitudes regarding AMR among respondents from the general population and examined differences by age, education, medical training, and family characteristics.

Methods. A cross-sectional descriptive analysis was conducted using a coded database containing 2,037 valid records collected from June to August 2023. A 24-item factual knowledge score and a 6-item prudent-attitude score were calculated. Differences were assessed using the Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests with Bonferroni correction (α = 0.005), and effect sizes were estimated using Cohen d.

Results. The mean knowledge score was 33.4 ± 17.4 points, and 80.7% of respondents had low knowledge (95% CI: 78.9–82.4%). The prudent-attitude score was 85.4 ± 18.9 points, with a high level in 80.8% (95% CI: 79.0–82.5%). Better knowledge was observed among respondents with medical education (d = 1.11), those aged 30–49 years, and those with higher education (d = 0.88); all differences were statistically significant (p < 0.001).

Conclusions. The analyzed sample showed a gap between favorable attitudes and limited factual knowledge. The findings support educational interventions tailored to sociodemographic groups, but should be interpreted in light of the cross-sectional design, self-reported responses, and the absence of information on probability sampling.