Investigation of the Rational Antibiotic Uses of University Students

Objective: This study assessed university students’ knowledge levels regarding rational antibiotic use. Methods: This study sample comprised 105 students studying at a university in Istanbul. The students were enrolled across five different faculties. The data were collected using an information form developed by the researchers. The parameters of the normal distribution were determined using the Shapiro-Wilk test. The Student’s t-test was applied to evaluate the normally distributed quantitative data between the two groups. Mann–Whitney U test was used for data that was not normally distributed. The chi-square test, Continuity (Yates) Correction, and Fisher exact chi-square tests were used to compare the qualitative data. Results: The largest proportion of participants were health science faculty students (38.6%). Most students had previously received information about antibiotic use (71.0%), had used antibiotics before (91.7%), read the package insert before using antibiotics (72.4%), made an effort to take antibiotics on time (79.3%), lacked understanding of the term microbiota (59.3%), and lacked knowledge about the relationship between antibiotics and microbiota (55.9%). Conclusion: The findings indicate that most students adhered to the principles of rational antibiotic use. The students required information about the human microbiota and the relationship between microbiota and antibiotics. Comprehensive educational programs should be implemented to improve students’ understanding of rational antibiotic use and its relationship with the microbiota.