A Cross-sectional Study of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices on Antibiotic Use and Resistance in an Urbanizing Indonesian Community
Abstract
Background: Antibiotic resistance is a major global health crisis exacerbated by the misuse of and poor adherence to treatments. Evidence on the behavioral factors driving this misuse remains scarce, particularly in rapidly growing urban areas of developing nations. Therefore, this study evaluates the community’s knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) regarding antibiotic use in South Tangerang City, Indonesia, aiming to understand the interconnections between these factors and sociodemographic characteristics. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using convenience sampling to recruit participants from the Pondok Jagung and Serpong 2 Health Centers. Data were collected via a validated questionnaire. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, multivariate logistic regression, and Spearman’s rho correlation to assess relationships between variables. Results: Among 110 respondents, education level was significantly associated with knowledge regarding antibiotics (p = 0.044). While initial tests indicated gender and employment affected attitudes, multivariate logistic regression confirmed that only gender remained a strong independent predictor (p = 0.019), with men exhibiting significantly lower odds of holding positive attitudes (OR = 0.237). Notably, good knowledge did not automatically translate to better attitudes or practices. Instead, a positive attitude showed a statistically significant but weak correlation with appropriate antibiotic use (r = 0.193, p = 0.043). Conclusion: A statistically significant but weak positive correlation was found between attitudes and practices (r = 0.193, p = 0.043), suggesting that while attitudes may influence behavior, other unmeasured factors likely play substantial roles. These findings provide essential baseline data for local health centers to design targeted interventions.