Table 1 Medical students’ attitudes and perceptions about antimicrobial prescribing and resistance: percentage who agree/strongly agree
Perceptions and attitudes | Agree/strongly agree (%) | P valueb |
|---|---|---|
N = 611 | ||
Inappropriate use of antimicrobials causes antimicrobial resistance | 92.3 | 0.03a |
Strong knowledge of antimicrobials is important in my medical career | 91.8 | 0.042a |
I would like more education on antimicrobials resistance | 90.4 | 0.339 |
Better use of antimicrobials will reduce problems with antimicrobial-resistant organisms | 86.1 | 0.225 |
I would like more education on the appropriate use of antimicrobials | 85.9 | 0.136 |
Antimicrobials are overused nationally in healthcare | 84.8 | 0.009a |
Inappropriate use of antimicrobials can harm patients | 82.9 | 0.001a |
New antimicrobials will be developed in the future that will keep up with the problem of “resistance” | 76.9 | 0.058 |
Poor infection-control practices by healthcare professionals cause spread of antimicrobial resistance | 70.9 | 0.701 |
Antimicrobials are overused at the hospitals where I have rotated | 39.4 | 0.151 |
Prescribing broad-spectrum antimicrobials when equally effective, narrower-spectrum antimicrobials are available increases antimicrobial resistance | 32.5 | 0.579 |
Appropriate use of antimicrobials can cause antimicrobial resistance | 24.6 | 0.469 |
Antimicrobial resistance is not a significant problem at the hospitals where I have rotated | 15.0 | 0.101 |
Antimicrobial resistance is not a significant problem nationally | 8.4 | 0.352 |