Assessing the Impact of a School Intervention to Promote Students’ Knowledge and Practices on Correct Antibiotic Use

Maria-Manuel Azevedo, Céline Pinheiro, John Yaphe and Fátima Baltazar
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Maria-Manuel Azevedo: School E.B. 2,3 D. Maria II, Rua da Alegria, Vila Nova de Famalicão 4760-067, Portugal
Céline Pinheiro: Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga 4710-057, Portugal
John Yaphe: Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga 4710-057, Portugal
Fátima Baltazar: Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga 4710-057, Portugal

IJERPH, 2013, vol. 10, issue 7, 1-12

Abstract: The clinical efficacy of antibiotics depends on their correct use. Widespread ignorance and inappropriate attitudes to antibiotic use have been identified among consumers. In order to improve the knowledge of middle-school students on antibiotics and their correct use, 82 ninth-grade students were enrolled in a teaching activity. The teaching activity consisted of a slide show presentation followed by discussion in a regular class. To evaluate the impact of the teaching activity the students were asked to answer a questionnaire before and after the activity. This study aimed: (1) to evaluate knowledge on the use of antibiotics in students of two schools in the north of Portugal and (2) to evaluate the efficacy of the school intervention in improving students’ knowledge on correct antibiotic use. We found lack of knowledge among students regarding antibiotic spectra and indications and incorrect attitudes in the pre-test. Significant increases in knowledge were observed after implementation of the teaching activity. Knowledge of the correct use of antibiotics for bacterial diseases rather than viral diseases rose from 43% to 76% in the post-test ( p < 0.01). Knowledge of the risk of bacterial resistance to antibiotics from their incorrect use rose from 48% to 74% in the post-test ( p < 0.05). We believe that it is important to reinforce the teaching activities on microbiology and antibiotic use at the middle school level.

Keywords: antibiotics; knowledge attitudes/practices on antibiotic use; middle-school students; school teaching intervention (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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