The Association Between Consumer's Knowledge and Behavior on Antibiotics Use for Common Cold

Abstract

The objective of this study is to examine the association between the knowledge and behavior of consumers on antibiotics use for common cold. Consumers’ knowledge about antibiotics was measured by a questionnaire consisting of six items related to the effect of antibiotics and another three items about use of antibiotics. Telephone interview was conducted during the days between June 24 and July 2, 2009, and 1,015 persons responded the interview. Final analysis included 896 persons without missing data. Thirty six percent of respondents answered that they checked their prescriptions to ensure that antibiotics was prescribed for common cold. About 6% asked their doctors to prescribe antibiotics for common cold, and 9.7% asked them not to. More than a quarter of respondents answered that they used to take antibiotics leftover from a previous illness. Patients who knew better about the effect of antibiotics on common cold were more likely to ask doctors not to prescribe antibiotics (OR 2.30, 95% CI 1.45~3.65), or to check prescriptions (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.40~2.46). Higher knowledge about use of antibiotics was related to low probability of asking doctors to prescribe antibiotics. This result suggests that consumers' knowledge about antibiotics can influence doctor’s prescription of antibiotics for common cold.