Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors Regarding Antibiotics Use Among Residents in Mueang Ngai Subdistrict, Chiang Dao District, Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

This cross-sectional study applied the concept of the knowledge-attitude-practice model (KAP) to study the levels of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding antibiotic use and their associations among residents in Mueang Ngai Subdistrict, Chiang Dao District, Chiang Mai Province. The study subjects were 250 residents in the district. All subjects were aged 20 years and older and resided in Muang Ngai Sub-district during June 2022. The questionnaire used in this study was developed by the researcher based on a literature review. The content validity index (CVI) of the questionnaire was 1.0, which was acceptable. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of attitude and knowledge questionnaires’ reliability were 0.84 and 0.87. Kuder-Richardson formula 20 (KR-20) of knowledge questionnaires’ reliability was 0.87. Data were reported using descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percents, means, and standard deviations. The relationships among knowledge, attitudes, and behavior levels were tested using Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests. The scores and levels of KAP showed that the subjects had a low level of knowledge (¯x= 3.2, S.D. = 2.26), a moderate level of attitude (¯x=2.23, S.D. = 0.42), and a moderate level of behaviors ( ¯x=2.75 , S.D. = 1.01). Significant associations between knowledge and behavior (p<0.05) and attitude and behavior (p<0.05) were found, while there was no association between knowledge and attitude (p =0.053). The results of this study can be used to develop a system for appropriate monitoring of antibiotic use at the individual and community levels for Mueang Ngai Subdistrict, Chiang Dao District, Chiang Mai Province, and areas with similar contexts.

Key word: knowledge , Attitude , Behaviors , Antibiotic drugs used