Knowledge, attitudes, practices and associated factors with antimicrobial resistance among Makerere University students in Kampala

Abstract

Antimicrobials are drugs meant to kill or stop the growth of microorganisms. Antimicrobial resistance is of major public health importance as the effectiveness of antimicrobials is threatened. The misuse and abuse of antimicrobials among humans and animals have been noticed to be the biggest caused AMR trend worldwide. Seven hundred thousand (700,000) people reportedly die yearly of resistant infections globally and an estimation of 10 million lives will be lost to AMR yearly by 2050. This is of global concern but also of greater concern in developing countries as information’s about AMR is limited. The continuous emergence of AMR poses a serious threat to food security, animal health and the practice of modern medicine. In Uganda, numerous cases of antimicrobial resistance and diseases resistant to multiple antibiotics have been reported across different parts of the country. In efforts to address this, there have been researches assessing Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding AMR among medical and health-related students. However, students from other fields of study have been neglected as there is no available KAP study on AMR among them. This study assessed knowledge, attitudes, practices and associated factors regarding anti-microbial resistance among all Makerere University Students as efforts in addressing AMR in Uganda. OBJECTIVE To assess knowledge, attitudes, practices and associated factors regarding AMR among Makerere University students to guide addressing AMR in Uganda. METHODOLOGY Cross sectional study design was employed for this research. Stratified sampling procedure was used for sample selection and data was collected using quantitative methods. A sample size of four hundred and twenty seven (427) participants was calculated to be gotten from Makerere University. Self-administered semi structured questionnaires were used for data collection and data collected were analysed using SPSS computer software. RESULTS A total of two thousand seven hundred and thirty two participants were included in this study. The mean knowledge score in antimicrobial resistance is 14.393 (total possible score 20). The relationship between degree of study and knowledge on antimicrobial resistance was significant with p value of 0.008. 70.6% of participants had positive attitude towards antibiotics use and antimicrobial resistance. Attitudes of respondents when tested to determine relationship with socio demographic factors of respondents showed significant difference with degree of study with a p value of 0.001. When also checked with knowledge, attitudes result indicated significant difference with p value of 0.001. Test to determine relationship of socio demographic factors with respondent’s practices indicated significant difference in college of study with p value of 0.004. There was also significant different between practices of respondents and their attitudes with a p value of 0.001. CONCLUSION The findings revealed that although knowledge, attitudes and practises level was moderate among most respondents, a lot more can be done in raising more awareness and improving public’s knowledge on antibiotics use and antimicrobial resistance as it seems the public do not yet understand the extent to which they can determine the increase or decrease in antimicrobial resistance cases.