Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice Regarding Antimicrobial Resistance and Antimicrobial Use among Undergraduate Medical Students in Majmaah, Saudi Arabia

Background: Antibiotics are the most frequently prescribed and misused drugs. One of the important pillars of the global action plan on antimicrobial resistance launched by the World Health Organization is to improve awareness. Objective: To evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and practice regarding antimicrobial use and resistance among undergraduate medical students. Methodology: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted by administering a 31-item pretested and prevalidated questionnaire. The questionnaire had five sections, relating to sociodemographic characteristics, antimicrobial consumption during the last year, knowledge about antibiotics, awareness of antibiotic resistance, and attitudes and behavior regarding antimicrobial use. Results: A total of 190 students participated in the study; 126 were from the College of Medicine and 64 were from the College of Applied Medical Sciences. The College of Medicine students demonstrated good knowledge in comparison to the College of Applied Medical Sciences students. The overall knowledge and awareness of the College of Applied Medical Sciences students was poor. No significant differences were found in attitudes and practice between the two colleges. Conclusion: The study showed a need for educating medical students regarding appropriate antibiotic use and resistance. Also, disparities were noticed between the knowledge and practice of the students at both colleges.