KNOWLEDGE OF ANTIBIOTICS AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS ANTIBIOTIC USAGE OF RESIDENTS IN RURAL AREAS OF TAGUM CITY

Abstract

Antibiotic misuse remains a pressing global health concern, underscoring the need to examine community knowledge and attitudes toward antibiotic use. This descriptive-correlational study assessed the knowledge and attitudes of 385 residents from rural areas of Tagum City, Davao del Norte, selected through clustered and random sampling. Data were collected using adapted questionnaires from Siam et al. and Zaidi et al., and analyzed through frequency count, mean, ANOVA, and Pearson-r. Findings revealed that respondents demonstrated a moderate level of knowledge of antibiotics (M = 6.12, SD = 1.69) and an average attitude toward antibiotic usage (M = 3.40, SD = 0.97). No significant differences in knowledge were found when grouped by age, gender, civil status, or educational attainment. In terms of attitude, educational attainment (p=.006) was the only demographic factor showing a significant difference, while no variations were noted across age, gender, or civil status. Importantly, a significant positive relationship was established between knowledge and attitude (p = .000), indicating that higher knowledge of antibiotics is associated with more favorable attitudes toward their use. The study highlights the need to strengthen antibiotic awareness and stewardship programs, particularly by tailoring educational efforts to different levels of educational attainment. Its results are significant to government health agencies, allied health professionals, nursing programs, residents of rural areas, and future researchers in advancing strategies to promote responsible antibiotic use and combat resistance.