Abstract
Background: Short-term antibiotics (ST-AB) are commonly prescribed for treating various bacterial injections. However, adherence to ST-AB and the subsequent potential development of microbial resistance are emerging global concerns. In this research, we proposed investigating the aspects associated with commitment to ST-AB in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We hypothesized that multiple contributing factors such as level of education, age, and appropriate medical education are positively correlated with adherence to ST-AB.
Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. An online self-administered questionnaire was provided to assess the research question. Our data were collected from adult and elderly patients who used the ST-AB for six months.
Results: Out of 525 participants surveyed, 393 (75%) were eligible for the research. Around 65% of the participants completed their course of A.B. regardless of their gender, age, or education level. A statistically significant correlation was found between age and completing the antibiotic treatment ( p-value = 0.0002 ). Likewise, a positive correlation was found between gender and completing the antibiotic treatment ( p-value = 0.01). Meanwhile, education level has not been shown to improve ST-AB adherence. Finally, the female had a compliance rate of 38.93%, whereas the male had a 25.95% compliance rate.
Conclusion: Regardless of high knowledge of antibiotic resistance, patients have the wrong concept of antibiotics. Therefore, non-compliance with antibiotic treatment was frequent in the community. The primary factor linked to the non-adherence was feeling better of the patient. The findings of our study suggest that adherence to ST-AB requires more A.B. informative patient education.