Evaluation of the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors of Antibiotics Usage at the Parents Living in the Aegean Part of Turkey

Objective: Antibiotics are considered to be one of the greatest discoveries of the 20th century. The widespread and inappropriate use of antibiotics leads to resistance to microorganisms, increased cost, and at the same time an increase in the incidence of secondary side effects. We aimed to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors about the use of antibiotics of the parents living in the Aegean part of Turkey. Methods: The study was conducted with parents of 252 children who applied to the Kutahya Family Health Center between May and October 2017. The data were collected by face-to-face interview using a questionnaire survey prepared by the investigator. Descriptive and categorical statistics were used for the study. Categorical variables were compared using the Chi-square test. The level of statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: The mean age of parents was 32.83 +/- 7.61 years and most of them were in a low education and income group. There was negative correlation between education level and use of correct antibiotics (p<0.01). This sentence given by you is like a interpretation and should be in a conclusion or discussion. Additionally, the correct level of knowledge of parents living in the urban area, male gender, and unemployed was determined to be lower. Conclusions: Rational antibiotic use is an important health issue in our country. We anticipate regional differences in evaluations of antibiotic use and we believe that, in order to increase the efficiency of antibiotic use, it is necessary to increase the level of education in the region and to reprogram health education to the public. Family Doctors should be sensitive to the use of antibiotics and inform the patient during the interview process. We believe that guidance and strategy can be developed for the national-international correct use of antibiotics using these regional data that we have obtained.